By Linda Taaffe

The meeting

Local day workers were back on the sidewalk last week protesting a ceremony honoring Los Altos Mayor Francis La Poll for his commitment to the business community three days after they say he “callously” dismissed them at a council meeting.

“We are here for (the council’s) disrespectful actions at Tuesday’s meeting. The council should have to deal with all people, not just voters. (The workers) are affected by the action the council is taking,” said Mountain View resident John Rinaldi during the demonstration last Friday evening in front of the Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto, where the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce’s Salute to the Mayors Banquet was being held.

About 20 workers carried signs protesting a Los Altos law intended to prohibit laborers from soliciting work from along the side of the street - an issue that convinced about 100 workers to march four miles from the temporary worker center at Calvary of God Church in Mountain View to Los Altos City Hall May 28, where the Los Altos City Council was scheduled to approve a revamped no-vehicle solicitation ordinance. The revisions were intended to make the law more “defensible” in court, according to city staff.

Attorneys from Morrison & Foerster and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund representing the Workers Commission and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are scheduled to challenge whether the ordinance violates workers’ free speech rights under the First Amendment in court next month.

What began as a powerful display before the council meeting ended in a fizzle, or what Rinaldi called the “abusive treatment of the day laborers.”

Rinaldi alleges that the mayor manipulated the meeting agenda so the laborers would be heard last; didn’t provide additional speaking time to those who required translators; and discriminated against them by only offering chairs “to relax” in at the youth center to residents who came to speak about the recreational vehicle storage code until their item came up for discussion.

He also questioned the legality of making initial changes to the law during an emergency meeting the previous Friday, a process that required less public notice time.

Under the council’s current policy, items on the consent calendar are handled at the discretion of the mayor. Historically, if there have been speakers for other items on the agenda, the mayor will hold consent items until last.

City Clerk Carol Scharz said the day laborers did not make arrangements to have translators.

Los Altos police threatened to shut down the council meeting if demonstrators became too rowdy, but only about six laborers remained at city hall by the time the council decided to discuss the pending ordinance revision four hours later, at around 11:15 p.m.

The council unanimously approved the revamped ordinance, one similar to a Southern California law that was upheld when challenged in court, according to City Attorney Marc Hynes.

“I consider this situation unacceptable,” said Maria Marroquin, director of the St. Joseph the Worker Center in Mountain View.

“The only thing workers want to do is work, not to be there with a sign begging … The only thing you can accuse us of is being here on streets wanting to work.”

City council members said the ordinance is based on safety issues, and the updated law was intended to reinforce that.

“Motorists intending to hire day laborers oftentimes do not park parallel to the curb, but rather, pull toward the curb at a sharp angle,” said Los Altos Police Captain Bob Lacey.

“The unanticipated movement of potential employers driving in such a manner creates impediments to the safe flow of vehicular traffic.”

Council members said they remained supportive of the workers and a worker center and planned to work with them as opportunities arise.

The city earlier this year earmarked $3,000 for a center in Los Altos, if one is established.

“I have no problem with day workers,” said Councilman King Lear.

“They do an excellent job and are very hard-working people. The problem is with their leadership … (they) are basically trying to intimidate the city with boisterous demonstrations to pay more for a quasi-commercial employment center.”

La Poll said he remained commited to working with the day laborers.

Gonzalo Garcia, a representative for the Workers Commission, said workers continue to stand along El Camino Real in Los Altos because that is where the jobs are.