COVID-19 HIRING UPDATE:
The safety of our members, staff, and wider community is our number one priority and we continue to do everything possible to ensure our employers remain confident in hiring our members. We are continuing to dispatch our workers to jobs, as long as we feel confident work can be completed in a manner that complies with current COVID-19 health guidelines. COVID safety practices must be in place at all job sites.
Our workers are men and women of all trades and experiences who are committed to the Voz values of honesty, respect, teamwork, discipline, commitment, and solidarity. All have completed an orientation and many are engaged in the leadership of our organization.
The Voz Worker Center is the only nonprofit worker center in Oregon. We are committed to finding qualified workers for the job, and advocating for a safe working environment and fair wages. All of the day laborers who use the Worker Center have made a choice to contribute to the Portland community by seeking work in an organized, respectful manner. Employers who hire with us make the choice to pay a living wage and to further our mission to end exploitation among day laborers. Thank you for hiring through the Voz Worker Center!
It's easy to hire a worker! When you’re ready to start your project:
If you’re looking for something specific, please give us a call ahead of time, so we can ensure you get the right person for the job.
The hourly wage depends on a number of details, such as the type of work, the worker’s experience, and if a greater skill is required level. We ask for a minimum of 4 hours of work per worker.
If the job you are working on requires heavy lifting or extended digging, our recommended hourly wage is $25 per hour. Our moving rates are $20-25/hr. depending on the technical requirements of the job. For any job requiring skilled labor (carpentry, painting, landscaping, etc.), we ask for at least $23 per hour depending on the worker's skill level and the difficulty level of the work. See the full list of wage rates here.
You pay the worker directly when the job is finished (cash preferred). Voz does not take any commission or fee. All of what you pay goes directly to the worker.
If you are unable to come by the Worker Center, workers can be sent via the bus or MAX. A small number of our workers have their own transportation and may be able to drive to the job site. Compensation for gas is greatly appreciated.
Still, the easiest way to hire workers is to come and pick them up at our Worker Center at 3575 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR 97232.
When you hire a day laborer or domestic worker you are considered an employer and as such need to assure that workers are provided with access to clean drinking water and restrooms while they are on the job. If there is no restroom on the job site, please communicate this with the dispatchers while creating the work order and be prepared to direct the workers to the closest available restroom.
It is your responsibility to provide a safe work environment, including all necessary tools for the job and safety equipment. If you do this, you can prevent most injuries.
You will also need to make sure the workers take paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks as required by state and federal law. Rest breaks are paid 10-minute breaks (a 2-6 hour shift = 1 break, a 6-10 hour shift = 2 breaks). Oregon labor laws require employers to provide employees with at least one 30-minute unpaid, uninterrupted meal period when the work period is six hours or greater.
Voz Workers' Rights Education Project is NOT AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY, LABOR STAFFING COMPANY, NOR THE EMPLOYER OF WORKERS SEEKING JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY. Voz is a nonprofit charitable organization providing a resource for workers in the community to learn job skills, protect their legal rights, and foster education, self-sufficiency, assimilation, and citizenship.
Persons employing workers for commercial activities should have Workers' Compensation insurance. Individuals using workers for non-business labor such as home repairs, gardening, general cleanup, or painting of owned residential primarily occupied property are generally exempt from Worker's Compensation requirements.
Questions or concerns should be referred to your insurance, tax, and legal advisers.
Those hiring workers from the Voz Worker Center site will be asked to sign off on the following agreements:
Voz Workers' Rights Education Project and the Voz Worker Center is not an employment agency and therefore: