In January the 7-Eleven off of Elden Street and Alabama Drive began reinforcing an existing agreement that day laborers congregating on site would leave the property at 11 a.m. if not hired for the day.
Since that date, although the 7-Eleven hired security guard continues to usher day laborers off-site at11 a.m., once he leaves at 2 p.m., workers begin to fill the side lot — sometimes standing on site at 4 p.m.
Town Manager Stephen Owen said he has not heard any recent complaints about the site, adding he doesn’t always receive every complaint, just the “politically fueled” ones.
“I knew there’d been a concerted effort in the last two months to enforce the cut off time,” said Owen, “but if guys come back at 4 [p.m.] and guys are overlooking it, then I don’t know.”
Mayor Michael O’Reilly said he also had not heard any recent complaints.
“I haven’t received any comments lately, but that doesn’t mean that the concern is not out there,” he said.
After the 11 a.m. cut-off, when the fifty or so men are waved by the security guard to exit the property, the majority of men move to the sidewalk, either one block down Alabama Drive or 20 feet from the 7-Eleven location.
Diane Hume, loss preventialist of Northern Virginia for 7-Eleven Incorporated, said although she has not heard from management at the Elden Street location, to the best of her knowledge the cut-off time was being enforced and there were no issues of workers re-entering the site.
“We’re hoping that the town will move forward,” said Hume about the creation of an eventual job site for the workers. “We’re not ready to jump out there and make any drastic changes.”
Sergeant Jerry Keys, Herndon Police, said if the day laborers are on-site until asked to move, and no resistance occurs, then they are abiding the law.
It’s when they move to the sidewalk and block foot traffic, that they can be cited for violations.
But since the cut off reinforcement, Keys said the police officers who service that area have not received any complaints.
Until a site is identified and workers are relocated, things will continue to run with the 11 a.m. cut off and the hope that the workers will move on as the day progresses.