Sonoma County's first day labor organization, Centro Laboral de Graton (the Graton Day Labor Center), will take its next historic step on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 when the new worker center opens for business. For three years the group has been organizing and distributing jobs and services on the street corner in downtown Graton.

The community will post bright yellow signs to direct employers to the location of the new center at 2999 Bowen Street (a continuation of Ross Road) just 1 1/2 blocks south of Graton Road, in downtown Graton. The Center's hours of operation will be Monday thru Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

The inspiration to establish a day labor center came from the community who saw a need to support workers who waited downtown for temporary jobs. In 2000 Centro Laboral de Graton, CLG, was formed in an effort to work with the day laborers in establishing an organized hiring process. Three years later a yearlong community consensus process brought together representative community stakeholders to dialogue around day laborer issues. The result of this process was a set of community agreements to guide the location of the center and its scope of services.

In 2004 a temporary street-corner hiring site brought more order, dignity and safety to the hiring process. Last year work began on the building site for the center. While work continues on the portable office and bathroom structures to ready them for the opening, flowering pears, maples and many shrubs have already been planted by an energetic crew of volunteers.

Unique in Sonoma County, Graton's day labor center emphasizes worker empowerment, leadership development, and community participation with programs in health access and education, legal referrals, women's issues, wage claims, ESL classes, a worker's assistance fund and occupational health and safety. CLG's 501 (c) 3, nonprofit board consists of day laborers and grassroots community advocates.

The workers, staff and volunteers of CLG will be on hand to welcome the community and show off the new facility.

Mission Graton Day Labor Center-Centro Laboral de Graton

Our mission is to advance and protect the human, labor and civil rights of day laborers and their families by promoting participatory democratic leadership and worker solidarity, in order to develop greater opportunities for employment, health, education and civic participation.