Press Release: Day Labor Program Files Lawsuit Against City Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Renee Saucedo (415) 553-3404

La Raza Centro Legal / San Francisco Day Labor Program files lawsuit against City and County of San Francisco for violating Free Speech rights. Workers and supporters protest City’s cuts of day laborer funding and stalling of building permit process.

On Thursday, December 5, at 1:30 pm, at San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., in San Francisco, San Francisco day laborers, their attorneys and supporters will hold a press conference and rally to announce La Raza Cento Legal / San Francisco Day Labor Program’s filing of a lawsuit against the City for violating the agency’s and the workers’ First Amendment rights when it cut funding in response to worker protests. Participants of the press conference will also denounce the San Francisco Planning Department’s continued postponement of a hearing to grant the Day Labor Program permission to move its office to Cesar Chavez Street.

“We see the City’s attempt to cut our funding and to keep us from moving into our building on Cesar Chavez St. as retaliation against day laborers for demanding our right to be present on Cesar Chavez St.,” states Hector Valdez, a day laborer and member of the SF Day Labor Program. “It is unforgiveable that, for political motivations, the City currently is not spending a penny for day laborer services and has stalled our move to our building for over seven months.”