COMMITTEE ON MINORITY AFFAIRS
MINUTES
APRIL 24, 2001
MEMBERS: YOUNG, BRONZ
OTHERS: ETTERE, CHANG
GUESTS:
The meeting was called to order at 1:35 pm.
Ms. Heyman is here to discuss the growing issue of Hispanic Day Laborers in Westchester County. Ms. Heyman works at the Westchester Hispanic Coalition. She informed the Members that they recently moved the hiring site/community center from the train station in the downtown area to a new site next to the cemetery in Mt. Kisco. This center is equipped with a big screen TV, pool table, canteen, head start program and it also holds English classes in the evenings. They are trying to create a model program in Mt. Kisco but it is very much a work in progress. This program has been modeled from a program that has been active in Tacoma, Maryland for nearly 10 years. Los Angeles has a similar program. These programs are basically the same in that a site coordinator to facilitate the employment process is needed, it’s about providing services and being an entry point.
Ms. Heyman informed the Members that they have been working with the Health Department on the possibility of hosting programs. The also are hoping to create a job bank in which they would poll each worker on their skills and match them with an employer. They have reached out to all contractors and landscapers in the Northern Westchester are to participate. The goal is to eliminate the day to day work and to create job stability. The Village/Town of Mt. Kisco has donated a bus that was used by the senior center. They have also reached out to the NYS Turf & Landscape Association to help train workers on how to properly and safely operate machinery. Unions have shown a greater interest in this problem and could be a great resource in offering their services such as teaching “survival English”.
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Ossining, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Yonkers, Peekskill, Mt. Vernon, Greenburgh are all areas with growing populations of Hispanics and the problem of day laborers. Suffolk County recently passed legislation to fund a site as a result of the beatings of day laborers only to be vetoed by its County Executive. He apparently felt that there was illegal activity was going on therefore the County should not fund such a site.
Ms. Heyman feels that this is an area where not-for-profit organizations have taken up the role that government has not. She also feels that our economy depends on them and that the immigration policy is non-functional with very little enforcement. Ms. Heyman feels that the government needs to come to the realization that they need these people to sustain the economy. She also stated that if services are not provided because some of them are not documented then communities start to deal with issues such as loitering, etc. Do we want to live in a community where people are getting ripped off and hate crimes are being committed?
Ms. Heyman feels that the first thing that needs to be done is to identify exactly where these individuals come from (Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, etc.) in order to classify them into groups.
Legislator Bronz suggested that Ms. Heyman look into getting the NYS Department of Labor involved because they have many valuable resources relating to training and counseling. She also suggested hosting a networking session in cooperation with the Municipal Officials Association.
Ms. Heyman stated that ESL Literacy Programs often fail because many of the these Hispanics can not read or write in their own language so there is resistance by the student who does not want to learn to read and write in Spanish and then in English. She also feels these ESL programs have very bad accountability and progression. The “perfect” curriculum would consist of basic English, teaching them how to read and write in Spanish and hosting the classes on Sundays because most of them 6 days a week.
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A discussion followed between Ms. Heyman and the Members.
Ms. Heyman will provide this Committee with on model programs that are currently in place throughout the Country along with some possible contact names.
Legislator Bronz made a motion to approve the minutes of April 3, 2001 and April 17, 2001 and was seconded by Chair Young. The motion was carried by a vote of 2-0.
On motion from Legislator Bronz, the meeting was adjourned at
2:20 p.m.