Day Labor Program of La Raza Centro Legal

Representative: Guillermina Castellanos

The Day Labor Program of La Raza Centro Legal of San Francisco seeks to fulfill three primary goals: 1) Increase economic/employment opportunities; 2) Facilitate collective empowerment; 3) Raise community awareness around the status of day laborers. The Program ensures that day laborers have access to living wage employment and promotes the health and well being of workers. The program connects hundreds of jobs to workers every month, offers regular occupational health training to minimize the likelihood of worker injuries, job and life-skills training, medical and mental health clinics, English-as-a-second-language (ESL) classes and substance abuse support groups. The program also secures a minimum wage and has assisted workers in reclaiming thousands of dollars of unpaid wages. The Day Labor Program implements its vision based on decisions made by the Day Labor Program Worker Association.

Guillermina Castellanos is an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico with a long history of employment as a domestic worker in the United States. She is co-founder and lead coordinadora of the Women’s Collective. As coordinadora, she facilitates job development and trainings, mobilizes members, co-coordinates personal empowerment work, and has coordinated the Safe and Dignified Cleaning Project. She previously served as a staff outreach worker for the Latina women’s organization Mujeres Unidas y Activas.