I came to the Labor Exchange so that I could work for the community, so that I could clean up my Spanish and so that I could work with and become closer to my father, Oscar Mondragon, MCLE operations director. I am leaving having experienced much, much more.
The Exchange runs on the simple ideology that we are trying to help people to help themselves. Outside of providing the workers with very basic food, clothing and health care, the daily workings of the office are not very complicated. People come to the office or call up and request some help for the day. We determine what type of experience is needed to do the job, what the compensation will be and then step out onto the deck and call out the job. Those who have experience come forward and then the laborer to do the job is chosen by the lottery system.
Whatever preconceived ideas I had before I got here about low income workers and the people who employ them were quickly dispelled. I found that some guys from other countries had office jobs, some were handymen, soldiers or healers and there were far more well intentioned employers than those just looking for discount labor.
In terms of the office’s success, we started out an evaluation program and received about a 97 percent positive feedback rate on the laborers and all of the respondents said that they would use the Labor Exchange again and would recommend it to a friend. Yet, as with any office, there are horror stories.
The largest problem that I found was that a lack of communication between the community and the labor exchange led to preconceptions about the office that ultimately led to self-fulfilling prophecies. For example, if everyone in Malibu decided not to use the labor exchange because they didn’t like the appearance of the workers, then there would be no work and the laborers would have a hard time bringing themselves up to any kind of a secure situation in which appearance, over survival, would be a viable option. In this way we can often create our own reality, so, some people don’t like the idea of picking up a day laborer from our office. On the day to day though, this is not the case because there are many more that do, and do so on a regular basis.
The labor exchange is a place of camaraderie, a mutual caring and social contact. For many of these men this is a place where they can be among and work alongside of friends. At times, I have been astonished at just how understanding some of the guys have been. There have been days when one of the workers comes up to the office in an obviously desperate situation–hasn’t gotten out on work in two weeks and very hungry–and all of the guys will step aside so that he can have the next job.
The running joke with most of the guys is to say, “Cuantos, cuantos?” when a car drives by or when arriving for another day of work. It simply means, “How many, how many?” The answer usually given by the guys nearby is laughter, or “I need 150 guys” followed by laughter, although sometimes the laughter is a little tense on a hot day when there has been little work all week.
Being around the office I had the chance to get to know most of the regular guys. Here are some of their names and idiosyncrasies.
There is Richard, the guy that really likes moving jobs and for some reason assigns people number ranking, like Oscar Mondragon is numero uno.
Dale, a homeless guy, really enjoys reading Tom Clancy and Dean Koontz.
Ralph, a Vietnam vet, is one of my favorite guys to talk to and he has more stories than a summer permits one to listen to.
Sebastian is always ready to say hello and give a strong handshake even it if the 12th time you have walked past him.
Apolinar is the Mason who is gaining somewhat of a following in the local contracting community.
Jaime is a professional at just about every labor job you can think of.
Kevin can make you laugh with great and usually tasteless jokes.
And for each of these guys there are just as many employers that give lunches to workers when it is not required, pay a little bit extra for a job well done, or take someone in off the streets.
Sheriff’s Deputy David Lewey has always been helpful, friendly and courteous.
Malibu is a beautiful place that has within its border so many wonderful, caring and selfless people. (It is always so great when people stop by to drop off clothes, bread or coffee and very surprising when they drive off nameless with nothing more than a wave.)
I have just started to feel that when I get back home to Santa Cruz, I will not be able to focus on school out of worry that all of the guys that I have begun to care about are doing OK and are getting enough work.
I then relax my mind with the simple reminder that I have met so many great people of the City of Malibu that I know the office and the workers are in good hands.
Angelo Mondragon