On February 25th, medical students from OHSU visited the Voz Worker Center to conduct health screenings for those in need of health consultation free of charge. The group was made up of aspiring dentists, nurses, physicians and medical researchers from a class at OHSU called ICHEE; the Interdisciplinary Community health and Education Exchange. Their professor is Valerie Palmer, a tall South African immigrant who is currently a senior research associate of the Global Health Center at OHSU as well as director of the Neurotoxicogenomics labs.

Palmer explained that her goal for this class is to bring together students of different medical disciplines to solve global health issues. Years ago, while tackling an infectious bacteria in Ethiopia, a member of her medical team questioned why it was necessary for chemists, as well as microbiologist and epidemiologists to work together on the project, rather than taking the more standard approach of working with solely professional medics. “It is a hindrance to effective diagnosis and treatment to only see sickness through one angle,” she said to me.

My own reason for attending the health screening event was to learn more about translation work of two kinds: Spanish to English, as well as the conversion in perception of health for Latin Americans to a typically Western biomedical view of health. Patients described their problems in their terms (headaches, lower abdomen pain, one man describing symptoms “caused by a lack of faith”). I translated these words into English as best able, from which the medical students then transformed symptoms to diagnosis: one man was said to have hernias, another—lymphoma. For these problems, various clinics around Portland were recommended, most of them suggested because of the possibility of free or state subsidized health care. The Wallace Clinic was the most frequently suggested clinic, as it is well know for providing health care to those for whom English is not a first language. Workers at Voz spoke positively about the event, at which there were nearly equal numbers of medical students and workers, allowing for a short wait in order to receive consultation. However, a few workers expressed that they had already tried going to clinics in Portland, including the Wallace Clinic, and discovered that the wait time to receive emergency surgery was longer than expected, or the cost of care more expensive than anticipated.

“This work as interesting to me,” said a student of nursing, “because we get to meet people in the field and get to learn about their lives. In a hospital setting, you only get five minutes to talk to someone and figure out the problem, but usually it’s a lot more complicated than that.” Palmer likewise stressed the importance for both students and workers to interact freely and without time limit, in order to understand health issues from both the side of the patient and medical student. “It’s an opportunity in learning how to listen to patient, and to encourage the patient in speaking openly.”

The next and last Voz health screening by OHSU will be on Saturday March 10th 2012, also occurring at the worker center.

With the membership I.D., day laborers can:

• Identify themselves to employers as members of VOZ, which gives them a more professional image and assures them of better treatment.
• Receive assistance in filing wage claims, even if they were hired on the corners.
• Request a letter of recommendation from VOZ for a job application, etc.
• Vote in the monthly assemblies.
• Be elected to the Day Laborer Committee or the Board of Directors.
• Keep their personal information and work history in the VOZ database, which gives them a series of rights.

These rights include:

• The right to be assigned to work according to their capacity and experience.
• The right to request a letter listing their experience and income to show when applying for a job or an apartment, requesting public assistance or reductions in hospital bills.
• The right to have VOZ contact their family in Oregon, in another state or in their country of origin.

When day laborers have a VOZ I.D., employers will benefit too; they can:

• Hire workers with confidence, knowing that they are members of VOZ and are backed by the organization.
• Request a worker with special skills.
• Submit an evaluation of the workers assigned to them—their comments will be entered in the database.

This historic moment is the fruit of more than a year’s effort by day laborers and VOZ staff. As the poet León Felipe wrote: “What’s important isn’t getting there quickly by yourself, but rather, getting there together and on time.”

Day Laborer Hire Site phone is (503) 234-2043 or (503) 752-3619

Have questions about hiring a Day Laborer? Here are some frequently asked questions about hiring day laborers.

The chamber in City Hall was filled with supporters wearing stickers that said “I support the day labor site!”, and over 20 people testified in support of VOZ, the day laborers, and the center. The City Council did not simply take a vote in favor of the center; they spoke out in strong support of the day laborer�s right to look for work, and their contributions to the Portland community and economy. After the meeting, day laborers and supporters gathered in the hall, chanting �Si se puede!

Day Laborers are a long established community who for over twenty years has successfully met business and labor needs in metropolitan Portland. A Day Laborer Center will cultivate the integration of day laborers, with full responsibilities, into the community where they live, seek employment and work.

A highly visible and accessible Day Laborer Center will help to streamline the process of connecting day laborers and employers. The Center will ensure that workers are able to put in an honest day’s work and receive an honest day’s pay, help maintain a minimum wage, safe working conditions, and discourage wage gouging.
VOZ is looking forward to opening the day labor center in Northeast Portland in early May!

December 12, 2007

This tradition began a few years ago with a group of day laborers who wanted to thank our Lady of Guadalupe for the work opportunities, and to ask her for continued protection in our daily struggle to look for work on the street corners

There will be:
Procession,
Prayer in the church,
Music dedicated to the Virgin,
and delicious Mexican tamales

Program

8:00 am: Procession and �Las Ma�anitas� starting from the corner of I-84 and MLK
8:15 am: We will pass by the second corner of 6th and Burnside
8:30 am: Prayer service in Saint Francis Church on S.E. 12th Avenue and Pine
9:30 am: Breakfast

It was rainy with low temperatures, but that did not stop the two teams from participating.� Both teams had support during the entire game.

We will try to continue these sporting events because it is a great
opportunity for day laborers from these two cities to be together and
supporting one another.�� Congratulations to Seattle for its win.
We’ll see you soon for a revenge match!

VOZ and Jobs with Justice present: A Solidarity Salsa Party Fundraising Event.

The event will include: Local Salsa DJ, silent auction, dance lessons, informational tables, food and drinks and more!

Tickets cost $15 and are on sale now!

Dance lessons from 8-9pm
For tickets and information or to volunteer, contact VOZ (503)233-6787. or JWJ (503)236-5573

Gran Baile de Salsa