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AFL-CIO, Change to Win Agree on Joint Immigration Framework |
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The AFL-CIO and Change to Win (CtW) today announced a historic joint unity framework for immigration reform. The joint announcement and proposal is a critical sign of support for the Obama administration and Congress to address immigration reform and to ensure that the issue remains a priority. It also signals that immigration reform is an important part of economic recovery.
The framework for comprehensive reform was developed with the guidance of former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall and the Economic Policy Institute.
In a statement, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said:
Our nation’s broken immigration system isn’t working for anybody—not immigrant workers who are routinely exploited by companies and not U.S.-born workers whose living standards are being undermined by the creation of a new “underclass.”
As a part of broad-based economic recovery, we need a comprehensive solution—and soon. The development of a unified labor position, a position centered on workers’ rights, puts us on the path to a legislative solution.
Click here to read “The Labor Movement’s Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.”
Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) President Joseph Hansen, who chairs the CtW immigration committee, said in a statement:
For too long, our nation’s immigration system has fueled discrimination and exploitation of workers. It has driven down wages and working conditions.
This framework is about moving America forward. We are a nation that respects hard work, family and the pursuit of the American Dream. Our immigration system must hold true to these principles.
In a telephone press conference this afternoon, Paul Almeida, president of the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees, said the framework helps successfully meet the needs of our economy, rather than repeat the shortcomings of programs that don’t work.
AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel Ana Avendaño said the time is right to pass real immigration reform:
Today is a brand new day. Workers have a president who is a community organizer who understands working people and that protecting workers’ rights is in the national interest. The union movement is confident he will work with us to promote a just framework for immigration reform.
One of the key components of the plan is the creation of a commission that would not rely on employers to declare a worker shortage. If the economy needs more permanent workers, the commission would allow more immigrant flow. If the economy needs more temporary workers, the commission would allow more temporary workers. The difference would be that the immigrant workers would have full workers’ rights.
Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez called immigration reform a civil rights issue that must be addressed now. He added that unions will join with their allies in the religious and civil rights communities and “do whatever it takes” to make sure comprehensive legislation that includes these principles passes in Congress.
“Immigration reform is a core issue for the labor movement,” Marshall said.
I am pleased to have assisted the unions in coming together to help create a vision for what immigration reform must be.
The proposal calls for:
- An independent commission to assess and manage future flow of immigrants, based on labor market shortages that are determined on the basis of actual need;
- A secure and effective worker authorization mechanism that protects workers’ rights and privacy;
- Rational operational control of our borders;
- Adjustment of status for the current undocumented population;
- Improvement, not expansion, of temporary worker programs, limited to temporary or seasonal, not permanent, jobs.
UFCW Civil Rights and Community Action Director Ester Lopez and SEIU’s Eliseo Medina also participated in the press call.
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President Obama is at the helm in a battle of the century, that is about to commence. Illegal Immigration is more expensive to taxpayers than anybody realize? Only because the inception of the Internet are millions of people aware of the consequences. Experimentalist stay silent, because rich donors have paid for their silence. But the consequences are obvious–OVERPOPULATION! I personally have signed on to a single payer health care system rumored on the Capitol beltway. The only problem illegal immigrants will tap into Universal health care.
In a progressive agenda for AMNESTY, is that the new immigrants will vote largely Democrat, because of resistance of other parties. Unions have adapted to the same, because their own ranks are full of illegal alien workers. This in addition means claiming a large blocks of Union dues and more influence in the Congress. Even the Catholic church has been ostracized by it’s practitioners, owing to child predatory nature of priest, who have been shielded by the church. Their religion has found a financial windfall, in illegal aliens crossing our distressed border from Catholic countries. The anti-sovereignty, pro-illegal immigration army is amassed against common sense. A new AMNESTY will bring millions more to America’s shores and border. It will be another tremendous burden on taxpayers in caring for the poor, their children and sick. The danger to our countries resources is environmental catastrophe. Find facts at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH, CAPSWEB.
I am as “white” and mainstream as a blue-collar union member can appear to be.
I’m a 59 year old American war veteran that was born in this country thanks to my Polish, Irish, Scottish forefathers. This type of effort is what makes me feel proud each time I know that my dues are going for a cause that cannot be more worthwhile or selfless.
I fought side by side with Mexicans, Salvadorans, Hondurans in Vietnam. Many of them were not U.S. citizens.
Where I came from, American success stories meant building a better life for each of our family. The absolute majority of immigrants are brave souls trying to achieve the same dream our forefathers came here to build.
Are we going to be so Anti-American as to not celebrate this valiant effort to forge a united front to get immigration reform through, so as to deal with this complex issue in a rational manner (rather than acting based on self-defeating ignorance, hatred and bigotry?)
Congratulations to Ms. Avendaño, the people at the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and any other organization that wants to fight this good cause from the trenches of the labor movement.
ANY BRAVE AMERICAN, PARTICULARLY UNION MEMBERS, HAVE TO GET BEHIND THIS EFFORT 100%!!!
-Andy
Welcome illegal aliens, bye bye American workers jobs…..
There are countless studies that show how the immigrant workforce is elevating our whole economy, it’s a fantasy to think they’re taking away jobs or lowering wages. It’s the other way around, guys! Get with the program!
To those who hate the “outsider”, I beg you try the way of love for the foreigner, for the excluded, for the downtrodden:
Thank the Lord our Savior for unions like the AFL because they are the true Christians among all these “pseudo-Christians” that veer so far away from the true gospel of compassion towards the poor, undressed, unfed, unloved. God Bless the American Federation of Labor of it is doing true Christian work!
We should learn the lessons handed down by God through Gospel of St. Mathew, Chapter 7:
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
-Gospel of Christ – St. Mathew
As as union member, I am disgusted to be associated with the “The Labor Movement’s Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.” I am all for strong unions and more members. I understand and can appreciate the thought that by giving free citizenship to illegals will hopefully bring them into union membership, but this is the wrong thing to do for America! We need comprehensive immigration reform with enforcement only. The correct action to take is to make it undesirable for illegals to come here and undercut the blue collar workers and to leach off of our tax payer funded benefits. No one had said anything seriously about deporting the 12 million (probably closer to 20 million) illegals. This is a boogie man scare tactic used to tug on heart strings in order to sucker people into making a decision based on emotion, completely ignoring the facts that illegals destroy the quality of life of tax paying citizens. If we stop giving the illegals a free ride they will go home on their own accord. We won’t have to ship any one back. Please everyone join up with numbersUSA. They have lots of great factual information about the situation we are in. Please contact your local politicians to tell them not to support this. Shame on you AFL-CIO for supporting this rubbish!
It is a sad day for the American worker when they must compete with illegal aliens for jobs. What part of “illegal” do you not understand?
With 13 million Americans out of work, 8 million illegals are working American jobs. Where is the justice? Why would you support a policy that actually takes jobs away from Americans? Is this just an attempt to increase your membership? Why would you sign illegals up for union membership when it is illegal for companies to hire illegals? I know you front this whole discussion with anecdotal reports. It is unwise to create policies on personal stories, instead of on the facts.
I can not believe that an American union, who is trying to make work environments better for Americans, ask Americans to share badly needed jobs with those who have already broken Federal Law by coming here illegally? Will we reward law breakers with American jobs? I truly believe your stance is Un-American. The purpose of unions is all about the American worker. Why would you use time and money, union dues, to promote national policy? Unions should not be engaging in Federal immigration laws? Why would you be bringing illegals into your union when it is against Federal Law for companies to hire illegals?
I grew up in the 50’s in a small coal mining town. The Pinkertons put down union organnizers with bullets, but coal miners are brave and fought to unionize. One of my friends was the grandson of the founder of the Molly Maguires. My father was a long time member of The United Mine Workers. Our family, for three generations, have been avid supporters of the UMW. I am sorry to say, your actions on illegal workers makes my heart bleed. If my Father were alive today, he died of black lung, he would be outraged that an American union would support breaking Federal law by recruiting illegal workers into their union.
I am hoping that your union members will rise up and demand that this practice stop. The union heads are starting to remind me of our government. You both are making decisions without listening to the voices of your members. Have you polled the AFL-CIO members to determine if it is they who want illegal aliens in their union, or is this just an example of union leadership out of control?
Bobby, I’ll 2nd that!
Challenger, I’ll 2nd that!
This agreement is a SELLOUT of American workers. Amnesty didn’t work when Jimmy Carter did it and it won’t work now. Illegals are trespassers who are taking jobs from honest Americans who have paid their taxes, fought our wars and donated generously to all kinds of charities. No one has to “round up” illegals and deport them - just shut down the demand for them by punishing the companies that employ them. E-Verify is a good first step. They will go back home by themselves if there are no jobs for them here. I think the AFL-CIO is looking to feather it’s own bed here by viewing all these ILLEGALS as potential union members to be welcomed into the fold. Just try to sneak into any other country in the world, work illegally and sponge off the largess of the society - you’d be in jail or on a bus so fast you wouldn’t even know what hit you. Let’s call it as it is folks - you caved in to Obama in order to get his support for something else of importance to you, Employee Free Choice perhaps? I’m sure, if you even admit that you did so, you will spin it as being pragmatic - I would call it Cowardice! There is little difference.
How about some proposals that are focused on the reasons why Mexican immigrants in particular are being forced into the United States???
* Stop the US Agribusiness from dumping corn into Mexico that has forced almost one million peasants off the land, in to the cities, then North to U.S.
*Stop the sale world-wide of genetically modified seeds and crops. Stop the sale and production of GM annual seeds that do not allow new crops to be produced from the first year crop. (Stop forcing impoverished farmers to buy new seeds each year, to maximize profit of the GM modified seed companies.)
* Stop the billion dollar corrupt subsidy of US Agribusiness that is already making huge profits, doesn’t need any subsidy.
* End the NAFTA treaty that has forced Mexido to privatize state public utilities and make them profit centers. One of the most wealthiest people in the world is Mexican Carlos “Slim” Helu, who gained control of the telecom system.
* Stop U.S. oil companies from trying to privatized of Mexico’s nationalized oil system, income used by Mexico.
* Majority of Mexicans living in poverty due to the Mexican ruling elite and U.S. corporate partners in massively exploiting Mexico’s working people. Insist that, in order to stem flow of Mexicans into U.S., that Mexico must raise the living standards of it’s people, especially the poortest, if it wishes to import into the U.S. etc.
* Building walls does nothing to address the root cause and pressure of
immigration. Stop construction of border wall. Stop the I.C.E. raids, imprisonment and massive deportation on impoverished Mexican workers and their children in this country.
* Provide an immediate path for citizenship to all long term residents. Allow Mexican-American high school graduates without papers, often resident since childhood, in the U.S. to go to colleges at the same tuition rates as documented residents.
* The U.S. is forever interferring in other countries, often covertly, for U.S. corporate interests. So U.S. for once should pressure U.S. corporations and Mexico to raise wages of all maquiladora factories if they wish to import their products into the U.S. Instead of “free trade” there must be global “fair trade”.
* Mexico should be pressured to stop attacking teachers in Oaxaca demanding a fair wage. etc.
Perhaps the only way such a foreign and domestic policy “of, by and for the people” can come about would be to have a government in Washington that would be controlled by the working people of the U.S. (i.e. a socialist government). What we have now is a corporate-capitalist-military-wall street government “of, by and for” for greed, profit and unending war for profit.
Illegals are not “forced” to come into our country.
I understand that illegals come here to work, and yes, 50% of illegals are Latinos. The rest are those from all over the world who have overstayed their work permits. If Amnesty is given to those already here, what will stop another 20 million illegals from rushing our borders? What will be the impact on our environment, schools, infrastructure, urban sprawl, social service, health care .etc. etc.
Any rationalization you use to support illegal workers leaves one thing out….they have broken Federal law by coming here. America is a nation of Laws. You just can’t pick and choose which laws you will enforce.
For the AFL-CIO to be bring illegals into the union makes it an accessory to a crime. Besides that, it is illegal to hire illegals.
Why would they even need a union?
Thanks for the post Jerry. You made many good points. People need to understand that worker exploitation by companies flying the American flag (and others) in foreign countries like Mexico have done nothing to lift workers out of poverty. With that said and because of, there has never been the type of illegal immigration of such proportions as we have had in the last 20-30 years. I worry about over population. People who say it doesn’t drive down wages aren’t listening or they are quoting some bad statistics. Wages are stagnating for some reason (lack of unions and rapid population growth). Part of it is a readily supply of people willing to work for five bucks an hour and no benefits. We need to do everything we can to support labor movements in third-world countries. That is one area I can commend the AFL-CIO on. That is one of the real ways we can help those folks improve their lot. I just read where Volkswagen told the Mexican and Brazilian workers they would have to accept a wage cut from $3 hr. to $1.50hr or the company would close the factories and move to China. I say fine, let them go, but don’t think you are going to reimport any back into our country! How many U.S. citizens are willing to run out and buy a new Beetle made off the backs of slave wages? As the world’s largest consumers (not for long though) American’s in too many numbers do not have any social conscience. They look at the bottom line only and hide their head in the sand. What a shame. We’ve truly become a me-first society.
It’s about time the U.S. Merchant Marine got some good press! The recent news reports show the caliber of t he men who have been going to sea, such as Capt. Richard Phillips and his crew.
Those of us who sailed during WWII still have not received full recognition for our services, and both Sen. Danile Akaka and Sen Daniel Iounye oppose the Senate Bill 663 which is held up in committee by Sen. Akaka.
Hawaii with 200 years of Merchant Seamen supplying them with everything they need would be little more than coconuts, pineapples and mangos, with a few barefoot guys playing guitars on the beach. The Mariner’s unions should put some pressure on Congress. Without us, the Merchant Marine, they’d be speaking German all over Europe and Japanese around the Pacific. Does that sound too strong a statement? Well, why not? Our group of Vets are 83 to 94, and when we meet, we’ve still got enough piss n’ vinegar to dish it out, even to Senators. Give us a hand, write a letter in support of S663.
If anything, we need to slow down Immigration in order to re-establish control and the teaching of American values, not to find that there are those who would fly different flags and instill foreign values in our schools and to our children.
Seamen druing WWII were the only ones to serve in a fully integrated Service. We know what it is all about and we know what is all about; we ran the ships with our officers under U.S. rules, and flying our flag. That’s what it is all about. Whether you sail under the U.S. flag, or live under the U.S. flag, you go by the rules we set! When you have a Union Card in your wallet, them’s the rules you work by.
are you kidding me? the only reason the immigration system is broken is because so many people came to our nation illegally! mark my word native born citizens are going to get screwed if this bill passes. i have seen my local unions medical insurance more than double in the past 10 years and one reason is the amount of folks who don’t have health insurance and one group are illegal aliens! why not send their nations a bill for the costs of giving their citizens medical help. We passed amnesty in 1986 and look what happened, more illegal immigrants who abused this nation! By the way No body from the AFL-CIO has ever asked me, or any one i have worked with their opinion on this matter and most folks i have spoken with on this subject DO NOT support amnesty!
This is pretty good the AFL-CIO has aligned itself with the US Chamber of Commerce.All this country needs to have things work the way they are suppose to is to enforce any and all immigration law to the fullest extend and prosecute anyone and everyone that have broken them.Until we secure our borders and know who is coming into the country nothing will stop the illegals from coming.At this time in our history I believe legalization of 12 to 20 million illegal aliens is the wrong thing to do.Write the Congress and get them to make E-Verify the law and all employers use it.We legally bring in about 1.3 million immigrants per year I believe that is more than enough and the illegals deserve no special treatment just because they have broken our laws and gotten away with it for years.Its no to any form of AMENESTY for me.
Dear Brothers, Sisters and Fellow Americans,
I am as “white” and mainstream as a blue-collar union member can appear to be.
I’m a 59 year old American war veteran that was born in this country thanks to my Polish, Irish, Scottish forefathers. This type of effort is what makes me feel proud each time I know that my dues are going for a cause that cannot be more worthwhile or selfless.
I fought side by side with Mexicans, Salvadorans, Hondurans in Vietnam. Many of them were not U.S. citizens.
Where I came from, American success stories meant building a better life for each of our family. The absolute majority of immigrants are brave souls trying to achieve the same dream our forefathers came here to build.
Are we going to be so Anti-American as to not celebrate this valiant effort to forge a united front to get immigration reform through, so as to deal with this complex issue in a rational manner (rather than acting based on self-defeating ignorance, hatred and bigotry?)
Congratulations to Ms. Avendaño, the people at the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and any other organization that wants to fight this good cause from the trenches of the labor movement.
ANY BRAVE AMERICAN, PARTICULARLY UNION MEMBERS, HAVE TO GET BEHIND THIS EFFORT 100%!!!
-Andy
As usual, Jerry Wells provides a voice of reason here and a realistic analysis free from the anti-immigrant hysteria that others promote. But this framework is a few decades late and really shows the failure of the labor movement to act globally and build an international Working Class movement that doesn’t allow the bosses to pit workers against each other.
Amnesty for illegal immigrants in the United States, will cost taxpayers more than the Liberals will admit? The majority who have no papers are paid under the proverbial table, by parasite employers. Those who are using fraudulent or bogus Social Security Numbers, do pay Federal taxes. A great example of the pathway illegal aliens have fraudulently, exploited free money is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In his book financial analyst and economist Edwin Rubinstein. He states that (EITC) is the largest anti-poverty program in the United States — and the most illegal-immigrant friendly. In 2007, more than 23 million households received more than $47 billion in the EITC payments. Much of the so-called “tax relief” goes to people who never paid a cent in taxes, and may have already defrauded the government of huge sums each year. EITC has become yet another means of depriving hard-working Americans of their own resources. It robs some to give to others. The EITC is the most accessible of the major entitlement programs and used by more people than food stamps and welfare (TANF)* combined the author admits.
The open border factions, including the payed-off politicians will offer you nothing but propaganda, to stifle any truth. The momentum is building to push for anther AMNESTY. Not only will taxpayers be carrying the out-of-shadows new immigrants, because most have only a 7th grade education and will not find work–while 10 million US workers are jobless. Billions of dollars sent back to other countries. Not forgetting the sponsoring of immediate family members, who will be even a larger burden of American taxpayers. Then their are millions more, impoverished, uneducated waiting for a 3rd AMNESTY to rush the undermanned border. Read undisclosed facts at: VDARE, FAIRUS, JUDICIALWATCH, NUMBERSUSA, AMERICANPATROL, CAPSWEB.ALIPAC.
I was so excited to read about labor’s progessive and effective proposed immigration reform. They recognize the civil rights issues here. Moreover, by creating and enforcing a legal immigration system we will be reinforcing higher wages and eliminating our current exploitive underground economy that only serves to undermine our wages.
OH, MY GOD!!! Aren’t most of these immigrant “haters” self-described “Christians”?
To those who hate the “outsider”, I beg you try to drink from the true way of love, and I mean true love, that which is aimed at everyone, regardless of skin, color, appearance, orign, wealthy or poor, true love for the foreigner, for the excluded, for the downtrodden:
Thank the Lord our Savior for unions like the AFL because they are the true Christians among all these “pseudo-Christians” that veer so far away from the true gospel of compassion towards the poor, undressed, unfed, unloved. God Bless the American Federation of Labor of it is doing true Christian work!
We should learn the lessons handed down by God through Gospel of St. Mathew, Chapter 7:
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
-Gospel of Christ – St. Mathew
How can John Sweeney claim to speak for the entire union when he pushes for mass amnesty for illegal aliens? These actions are abhorrent, self serving, and short sighted. His comments seem to be similar to those one would expect from a sweetheart union. Shame on the management of your union.
This is typical of the “forked tongue” language of big business. And, in recent years, unions have behaved in this shortsighted manner with ever increasing regularity.
Say they get their way and amnesty is passed, allowing millions of new workers to swell union ranks. After all, that is the motivation. The word is, illegal alien workers in many regions, are already making demands of their unsrupulous employers for better pay and more desirable job duties. So basically, the scheme to hire illegals for the purpose of getting cheap labor from non-rabble rousing workers, is already backfiring.
Do the unions honestly believe they will be left with a compliant, grateful membership when they get their way? No, I believe the unions know that their gains, if any, will be shortlived. They just don’t care. They’ll get all they can until the well runs dry, and then scramble to come up with more shortsighted solutions.
Ironically, this behavior closely parallels the transient work ethic philosophy embaced by many illegal immigrant workers. They come here to make a fast buck, then take it back home to spend it, where it’s worth more. I speak from personal experience in the residential construction field.
The philosophy displays a decided emphasis on quantity (earnings now), over quality (a lasting impression that builds a good reputation). This attitude is not only echoed, but encouraged. for many of the same reasons, by dishonest contractors who hire illegal aliens. It is this greedy attitude, as much as any other factor, which has infected big business and unions. Its effect has been one of a systemic nature, because everything is connected.
It is complicated, but if immigration (and all its associated issues), is viewed in a holistic context, then the pieces - and the improprieties - start to come together.
The sad thing is, our children are not so clueless as you would think. Irresponsible behavior by our elected officials, like the public is currently witnessing, only teaches the next generation that honesty is just a temporary commodity to be exploited for short term gain. Now there’s a role model for you.
To those who hate the “outsider”, I beg you try the way of love for the foreigner, for the excluded, for the downtrodden:
Thank the Lord our Savior for unions like the AFL because they are the true Christians among all these “pseudo-Christians” that veer so far away from the true gospel of compassion towards the poor, undressed, unfed, unloved. God Bless the American Federation of Labor of it is doing true Christian work!
We should learn the lessons handed down by God through Gospel of St. Mathew, Chapter 7:
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
-Gospel of Christ – St. Mathew
Dear Andy Veteran –
Your post epitomizes the spirit of labor’s motto: “An injury to one is an injury to all”. I applaud you for telling it like it is!
Personally, I have more in common with workers from anywhere – documented or undocumented – than I do with the merchants of greed who are responsible for bringing our nation to the brink of economic disaster.
Search as I may, I could find no Latino surnames amongst the list of financial and corporate thieves who robbed and continue to rob the residents of the U.S.
Despite all the propaganda spouted by the Brittanicus posts, GAO and CBO reports show that the net economic impact immigrants have on our economy is positive. In other words they contribute more than they take. Actually, Brittanicus should offer a disclaimer when posting. Those posts suggest that “facts” are available at NUBERSUSA, CAPSWEB, and JUDICIALWATCH. The Intelligence Report (Southern Poverty Law Center) has identified those organizations as being either hate groups or sympathetic to the diatribe espoused by hate groups. What’s more, those groups have never seen a union they didn’t love to hate.
Disturbingly, some other posts by (supposed) union members are devoid of working class consciousness. That’s one of the problems labor faces today. Too many in the ranks know squat about the heritage, mission, and past struggles of the labor movement. They instead listen to hate-mongers and then repeat the venom they hear. Those hate-mongers, by the way, are as anti-union as Wal-Mart and its ilk are.
Thanks for your post Andy Veteran!
And to those who alibi for the hate-mongers, I have this to say: Which side are you on? You can’t support labor while at the same time supporting labor haters and their front groups.
Signed,
A 68 year old working stiff (retired) and a union member for 43 years. And I’ve been around long enough to know that if it were not for my union, I wouldn’t have a pot to p _ _ _ in!
Big thanks to Jerry for giving people the BIG picture on this issue. Unfortunately, too many of our union brothers and sisters can’t take the blinders of nationalism off long enough to see what is really happening. Build a wall! They scream. How high? I ask. How long? Won’t they then come by boat? Better build a wall in the ocean too.
It doesn’t surprise me that many union members can’t understand worker solidarity across borders. Many of them don’t really understand it across trades and professions. They scream about the corporations but then turn around and defend the “American” ones (as if there were such a thing anymore). They decry their bosses in the manufacturing plant but don’t support their brothers and sisters at the hotel or the school or the place where they shop. Until you understand that there are no borders, no nations and no allegiances to the corporations you will never be a real union member. Until you recognize that corporations are concerned about one thing and one thing only, profit, you will be nothing better than protectionist worried about himself, not a unionist. When you recognize this fact maybe you will understand why the mexican immigrant is not at fault. He is, like you, a worker trying to make a better life for himself and his family in a world dominated by corporations (many of them “American”) that, with the help of our government, have destroyed his country.
and to Karl who said “Do the unions honestly believe they will be left with a compliant, grateful membership when they get their way?”
“COMPLIANT, GRATEFUL” ?!?!?! What, union members are supposed to be grateful and do what they’re told? None of the immigration critics on here seem to buy that about their own unions on this issue. why should mexican immigrants who form or join their own unions do what they are told? If these workers join in large enough numbers then they can run THEIR unions as they see fit. They don’t owe anyone anything!
Obviously, our modern union movement has failed its membership in more ways than one. Not only has it not taught members about worker solidarity, it appears to have also failed to teach them about that primary human right, democracy…
-To those who hate the “outsider”, I beg you try the way of love for the foreigner, for the excluded, for the downtrodden:
Thank the Lord our Savior for unions like the AFL because they are the true Christians among all these “pseudo-Christians” that veer so far away from the true gospel of compassion towards the poor, undressed, unfed, unloved. God Bless the American Federation of Labor of it is doing true Christian work!
We should learn the lessons handed down by God through Gospel of St. Mathew, Chapter 7:
<>
<>
<>
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
-Gospel of Christ – St, Mathew
This country takes in over a million new legal citizens annually, almost half were Latino last year. To dismiss those of us who are against amnesty as racists or “haters” is a cheap, inaccurate lie. This nation is more than generous towards immigrants and Latinos. Enough of the race card already!
We gave an huge amnesty in 1986 legalizing ALL of the illegals who were here then. We have also had several amnesties since. ALL who have come since then have broken our laws by coming here, working illegally etc. and should be considered as criminals. (Yes, their employers are criminals also!)
Yet we have 12-20 million illegals currently? Obviously amnesty does not work and serves as an invitation to future illegals to come and wait for their amnesty.
The illegals are displacing an estimated 6 million Americans from non-agricultural jobs. Those Americans are not working or paying tax as a result of this. Many are using public services further taxing our economy. Removing the illegals and putting those Americans back to work will stimulate our economy!
And yes, Americans will do those jobs, for a fair wage! Maybe they will even joina union!
The illegals will petition in their families (chain migration). That will bring the total up to 35 million.
OK, the next statement is politically incorrect, which does not render it untruthful: Given the Hispanic birth rate, that 35 million will soon be 50 million. Then 100 million. Consider the effect of this on our country and you will soon see that is isn’t good.
Also, any amnesty will invite yet another wave to head north. That’s why we’re where we are after the 1986 amnesty that was supposed to solve the problem. So add in another 20-30 million new illegals within 10 years, then they will demand their amnesty. The cycle repeats.
Add in the social costs and our country will be bankrupted by another amnesty.
I hear the comments on how these poor people come from terrible places, well, if they would overthrow their crooked “leaders” and have a few less babies maybe they would not be as poor. Until things change south of our border, we will be fighting this problem, and if we don’t fight it, we will be dragged down to their standard of living.
For more information on this issue, go to http://www.numbersusa.com . They have the fact and figures adn are committed to controlling excessive immigration.
If it weren’t for people like Ana Avendano in the labor movement, this would not be a struggle as forth fighting for, as it is fighting side by side with her.
I am very disappointed. I am not in favor of rewarding people who break the law. Increasing the labor pool when there are so many job losses doesn’t make sense to me. We should advocate e-verify to confirm that people are legally entitled to work in the United States.
The issue has been persistant because the current immigration system is broken and allows illegal immigrants to flow into the US. They have free passage and it has been like that for many years before now and had protested against it and nothing was done by the government policy makers. The Employers were given unregulated access to do whatever they can, and this has to STOP.
I see that CIR is a means to achieve this and stop the flow from making this happen again and choking the lifeline of this system from within. And also to regulate Employers from hiring illegal immigrants, which can only be done by verifying the identities and credentials of employees. This should work now. “Doing Nothing” is not an option anymore.
We should not complain about immigrants, but complain about our governments. What have the immigrants to blame? They are doing this out of necessity and available oppertunity, presented to them.
Also look out!!! There are many jobs out there. If you cannot find it, please look at a mirror!!
Now who is DUMB enough to believe this group Southern Poverty Law Center, this so call law center gets a lot of its money from La Raza (the race) organization. The FACTS are in the 80’s a meat packing plants paid around $18.00 a hr. and then the illegal aliens start to come in and the pay went down to $8.00 a hr. The fact is illegal aliens cost the state of Illinois 3 billion dollars in 2007, the state of Florida 3.8 billion dollars in 2008. This information comes from fair.org an another good site. I am not an racist, I am a union brother, but I am more of an PROUD UNITED STATES CITIZEN. Think about it if ICE deports all the illegal aliens look at the JOBS that will open up for UNITED STATES CITIZENS and we will be spreading Americanism across the WORLD. The illegal aliens can organize unions in their countries. The facts is unions use to turn in illegal aliens and we wanted UNITED STATES CITIZENS to have UNION JOBS. The AFL-CIO needs to wake up and realize that I and my Union Brothers and Sisters do NOT agree with this decision. if you read the Bible around John 10:? don’t trespass on thy neighbor. This is a GREAT COUNTRY it is worth the time to come here legally.
It’s easy to see how and why so many so-called trade unionists supported Bush for eight years!
Workers need each other regardless of point of birth or origin! We must never allow the bosses to divide us!
Just remember folks, white immigrants from Europe were the first illegals and they were not at all above stealing the land from the original residents!
That is funny, i can tell you what ship my great great grandfather came over on in 1740 that there was papers. Do you know what you are talking about Bush was for amnesty. I think our AFL-CIO better start listening to the UNITED STATES CITIZENS that are in a union. Illegal aliens are ruining the United States, if you want do some good, go to their country and help them get organize. What AFL-CIO should be doing is calling ICE and demand that they raid factory’s that hire illegal aliens and deport the illegal aliens, so that will open jobs up for UNITED STATES CITIZENS.
and what did Spaniards do?
I strongly DISAGREE with Organized Labor’s support of so-called immigration reform because it’s nothing short of supporting amnesty for lawbreakers.
It escapes me how the American Labor Movement, which is so dependent on the enforcement of labor, safety, wage, etc. laws for the protection of its members, can so brainlessly support ignoring the immigration laws that are in place to shield it from the cheap labor that will destroy its near century of progress.
Of the 3+ million illegal immigrants granted amnesty through the Comprehensive Immigration and Control Act of 1986 — which was to be the end-all to illegal immigration — only a miniscule joined Unions. Therefore, one can only assume the same outcome with today’s reform. Because, again, any new (re-written) legislation will have to be ENFORCED.
By supporting yet another failed immigration reform, Organized Labor — the AFL-CIO and Change to Win — will surely become the villian for its contribution to the country’s every decreasing job market.
I truly believe that by supporting immigration reform which Big Business knows will NOT be enforced, Organized Labor is simply playing into the hands of the anti-union.
Call, write and/or email your US Representative and Senators to demand they put the welfare of US citizens above illegal immigrants.
Go to: http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials/
Enter your zip code, then use the links in the blue “Write Your Elected Officials” box to quickly and easily send an email to your US Rep and Senators. (Use other links for other contact info.)
NO AMNESTY. Enforce existing immigration laws!
Work place enforcement should be ICE’s #1 priority.
HEY UNION LEADERS DO YOU HEAR WHAT YOUR RANK AND FILE IS SAYING? IT SURE DOESN’T SOUND LIKE YOUR EARS ARE OPEN! QUESTION AUTHORITY RIGHT? WELL THAT MEANS PROGRESSIVE AUTHORITY AS WELL! GET IT?
I am an AMERICAN. And I lost my job last month to Illegals. There should be raids on the work place of employers who hire these illegals. I am on the unemployment line because of these employers. I have paid into the system for over 25 years and I am not recieving any help from our government to help pay bills. WHY?? Because I don’t qualify!!!!! I can’t get any aid to help pay heat or to buy food because they say I don’t qualify for it. The ILLEGALS are taking over our country and the government is doing nothing to stop it. I am very pissed at this time.
UNITED STATES CITIZENS polled and 70% or more do not want amnesty for illegal aliens. That is what is so disturbing, what does AFL-CIO think they are doing? USW dist 7 also is trying to shove amnesty down our throats. Talk to your congressman and union rep. and tell them that you don’t want AFL-CIO to support amnesty, and in fact you want more raids done by ICE. AFL-CIO should be supporting more ICE raids. That will help the UNITED STATES CITIZENS to get jobs. AFL-CIO is all about the money?
Thank God you immigrant bashers were not around during the early – and difficult - days of labor organizing. If your biases were in play back then today’s (tiny) union membership would be mostly male, pale, and stale.
Don’t you know that many, many immigrants made tremendous contributions to the labor movement? Many could not read or write English, yet they understood the need for working class unity. They understood what too many people are denying today: There is class warfare. The “war” wasn’t started by those of us who work and sweat for a living. It was started by the very same class that is responsible for taking our economy into the tank. Make no mistake about it, the wealthy entered the current economic crisis rich and will emerge rich. It is only working class families who are suffering.
Those who fall for the anti-immigrant propaganda are being duped! Immigrants are not responsible for plant closures here in the U.S. It is the corporatists and their surrogates in Congress who are responsible for shipping our jobs offshore.
You’re taking the easy way out! Rather than putting the blame for what ails America on those who are responsible for the demise of manufacturing and technical jobs here at home, you’re allowing those charlatans to divide workers! The rich are well organized. They took lessons from the early pioneers of labor. Today’s Johnny-come-lately “union members” should take the time to read up on how organized labor achieved a 37% density at one point in the not too distant past. Those early heroes and heroines were savvy enough not to allow fomenters of division to manipulate them. Had they not stuck together, there would be no such thing as an AFL-CIO or a Change-to-Win today.
No wonder workers are on the ropes. Too many people are listening to labor haters like Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity instead of going to membership meetings in order to learn what is really going on in our nation.
“An injury to one is an injury to all.”
All of those people you talk about were LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, this is about ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, But this is the problem. Legal immigrants learn English, so they can communicate. We did NOT have to learn their language. Most of my Union brothers and sisters DO NOT WANT illegal immigrants to have amnesty. Our Union leadership need to do what the members want, NOT what the special interest groups want.
I would like to comment on the countless studies that show illegal immigration does not hurt but helps our economy. Many are full of holes. They don’t take into consideration the cost of providing free healthcare, pharmaceuticals and the like. the fact that OUR insurance costs with OUR employer is rising at a rate 3-4 times faster than inflation because they are passing the costs along to us-today we negotiate over healthcare more than wages as it is so burdensome to our employers. The burdens on the public school systems having to print two sets of books- one in English, one in Spanish. The studes cannot prove that illegal immigration drives up wages of the working class. To the countrary, the profiteering comes to the rich ruling class in the U.S. In the end you can argue that ultimately illegal immigration helps the economy- but only those at the very top of the economic ladder. This is one facet of why there are now 330,000 people in the U.S. controlling 50% of the entire wealth of our country. Yeah, illegal immigration helps our economy- the upper 1% of our economy! Think about it! You would have to believe in trickle down economics (Reagonomics) to believe it really helps. If low wages were the answer, the banana republics would be the richest countries rather than some of the poorest obviously.
Labor excesses drive down wages and that is what the Chamber of Commerce and big business want! For the unions to support this is wrong. There are valid economic reasons to oppose open borders and amnesty. It’s about numbers not nationalities.
NumbersUSA and FAIR are reputable organizations and not union bashers. Open border advocates like professional poverty pimp Morris Dees’ SPLC sling mud at opponents because they have no valid arguments to support massive immigration and amnesty during this economic slowdown.