Victory for Day Laborers in Mamaroneck

WNYC News | Jul 12, 2010

New York, NY —

Day laborers have won the right to gather in Mamaroneck. Six workers sued the Westchester village last year, claiming they were harassed by police officers because they were Latino. A judge agreed and ordered the two sides to reach a settlement.

REPORTER: Mamaroneck's board of trustees voted to ratify it last night. Alan Levine, from the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, helped represent the day laborers. He says the agreement means police cannot routinely ask day laborers about their immigration status.

LEVINE: They will not be told by police to move on from places that they are gathering on sidewalks and a court monitor will be appointed who will for a period of 3 years ensure the terms of the settlement agreement are being implemented.

REPORTER: Mamaroneck must also pay more than half a million dollars in the worker's legal fees and allow a new hiring site to open. Tensions began after a hiring site was closed and day laborers gathered on the streets to find work.

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