Day Laborers Kick Around Soccer Ball, Organizing Ideas

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Day laborers from across the Metro DC region laced up their soccer shoes on Sunday, June 29 for the second annual Day Laborer Soccer Tournament. The event not only provided an afternoon of friendly soccer competition but also gave day laborers and community activists a chance to discuss organizing tactics and strategy for improving the rights of Metro DC day laborers. Nine teams competed in the tournament. “The spirit of cooperation of the different participant organizations was the real winner,” said DC Jobs with Justice board member and American Friends Service Committee DC chapter Director Jean-Louis Peta Ikambana. “This was a fun and exciting experience for all of us,” said Benjamin Ordoñez, a member of the winning team Chelahub. “Our rival team, Jornaleros de Culmore, was a very competitive team and the final game was decided by a penalty.” The Mayor’s Office of Latino Affair and the Latino Liaison of the DC Metropolitan Police co-sponsored the tournament. To find out about upcoming events to support the DC Metro Day Laborer community, contact Pedro Cruz at pcruz@dclaborarchives.org
- report/photo by Ruth Castel-Branco