San Francisco Day Labor Program: Making a tough job a little easier

Juan is not dressed for manual labor. He sports a striped sweater with a collared shirt peeking out professionally underneath. His hair, which is graying only slightly, is slicked back a bit. He looks good, like he could be going to an office in the Financial District. Instead, he is sitting in one of two trailers that the San Francisco Day Labor Program uses for an office on the corner of 17th and Hampshire in the Mission District.

It is about 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 4. Already, some 20 men – and a few women – have gathered in front of the trailers. Some are talking in groups, others sit by themselves, while a couple of men kick around a soccer ball. All of these people, Juan included, are waiting for jobs.

Born in Nicaragua, Juan has lived in San Francisco for 15 years. He has used the Program for two years and has found that combined with his wife's income, he is able to support his two children.

The work, however, is not necessarily reliable or regular. On this particular day, there are no jobs lined up for any of the people waiting outside. According to Rob, an intern at the Program, and our translator for the day, there are no reserved jobs scheduled until Friday. He also noted that there are about 150 workers who are required to sign a list when they arrive, and they are sent out to jobs according to the order in which they appear on the list. The long list of names and the short list of jobs does not ensure that everybody goes home with money at the end of the day.

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