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Immigrant Rights Are Workers’ Rights
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As long as America’s mostly immigrant day laborer workforce is discriminated against and denied their rights on the job, no workers’ rights are safe, a key organizer told the AFL-CIO Convention.
Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), said day laborers have become the symbol of what critics say is wrong with the nation’s immigration system. In reality, he says, they are the symbols of a drastically changing economy. While the economy depends on their labor, it refuses to allow them to fully participate in the American Dream.
Day laborers work in an economy that accepts the fruits of their labor but does not accept their humanity.
In their efforts to feed their loved ones, Alvarado says, day laborers are subjected to wage theft, unsafe conditions and discrimination in the workplace—and now day laborers are organizing to protect their rights. In 2006, NDLON formed a partnership with the AFL-CIO that is paving the way for AFL-CIO central labor councils and state federations and NDLON’s 41 day laborer worker centers to work together on issues ranging from workplace rights to immigration reform to health and safety and other job-related concerns.
Alvarado says all workers will benefit from passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and the NDLON worker centers will use “every resource available” to pass the bill. He adds:
I don’t know what the future will look like. We can be certain that workers are never given anything for free. Workers must be certain that we have each other.
Calling undocumented workers “Americans-in-waiting,” he urged comprehensive immigration reform and he reminded the delegates they also are “union members in waiting.”
The day laborers’ struggle is for all workers, no matter what language they speak or where they live.
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17 Comments
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Let’s call these folks what they are thieves,what about my children’s AMERICAN DREAM and my grandchildren?They have no place here they have forced themselves into our country unwanted and uninvited.We have plenty of people to do the jobs they are taking.30 million out of work now and growing by 14000 a day.Let’s use E-Verify and enforce our immigration laws our system is not broken just unenforced.Day laborer’s have been scabbing on the building trades for a very long time.It’s time for it to stop and the AFL-CIO should not be selling us out on the hopes these illegal immigrants came here to join a UNION they didn’t.
Dr;
These people are not thieves, they are here to work for their families. they are invited by big business and big agriculture for exploitation. history has taught us that when we include all workers we all will win. immigrants are a critical part of our future and a huge part of our past.
All immigrants are NOT created equal. Those who are here LEGALLY are entirely welcome. Those who are here ILLEGALLY (whom I, for one, refuse to even refer to as immigrants) are NOT welcome. Anyone who wishes to be welcomed in this country needs to come here legally. To do otherwise is to disrespect this country, it’s laws and it’s people. Illegals will NEVER be accepted into our society and it’s time they and their pro-illegal supporters understand that. We are a nation of laws and to cross our borders without permission is AGAINST THE LAW! It makes you a criminal! And God knows we have enough home grown criminals without being expected to accept interlopers from foreign countries!
I believe the illegal immigrates are hurting our enconomy. It can be seen all ove America. Companies hiring illegals with less wages ,no documentation. paying under the table. And until they are caught they are taking jobs away from American workers. They cannot work here unless they are legal citizens so that hurdle needs crossing first so we can’t organize them unitl they take the path to being legally in our country. I see it in Tucson Az construction jobs, laborer jobs and mom and pop companies hiring illegals and paying them way below wages. So until they are citizens they are hurting the American worker. We have e-verify but companies still hire illegals. I am retired union memeber and I see jobs at our VA medical Center getting contracted out. yes our VA medical Centers hiring jobes out to yes a company that thier workers can’t even speak english. Instead of hiring our Veterans. We have hundreds of vets coming back from war and can’t even get a job at thier home town VA because management has contracted out thier job. Even the non skilled jobs of housekkeping at the Tucson VA has been contracted out. Yes the first year the contract is in place the gov saves money but wait til the contract is reneogiated and then it goes up. And the Governement can’t even bid back to those jobs even when it is more cost effective. Yes they might be furture union memebers but they have to go through the process first.
Chrisrick no one invited them they are scabs history has taught us if you don’t stop them they just keep coming.They are not educated,they have few usefull skills and they are not coming here to become union members.They come here for what you and I pay for free health,free education,and welfare.Take a good look at California right now and you will see where this leads.
Dr– Ignorance is poisonous. You are getting your “facts” from the very same sources that invented the lies about the Dem health care plans–”death panels,” “socialism,” etc. Those people are not friends of working people. They’re right wing extremists who would like nothing better than to see all unions disappear. Stop spreading their lies!
Illegal immigrants are useing up tax payer money and taking jobs that should go to U.S.A. citizens.Those who harbor and encourage these criminals are breaking the laws.We do not need immigration reform ,we need immigration laws enforced that are now on the books.
No rights for illegals are justified and no rights for illegals in the future.
Illegals are the tool of the GOP terror group to drive down labor costs and break unions and help the bottom line for greedy employers.We do not need illegals for union members the U.S.A. citizens that would hold these jobs are the members that need union membership. Not illegals.Stop taking the easy way out and fight for the causes that are right for our citizens.
It seems that if we elect republicans we get terror in the streets if we elect Democrats we get foolish taxpayer exploytation and world trade that we do not need.We also get an administration that refuses to arest and prosecute the three to four thousand criminals that wrecked our country over the past few years.This is unaceptable and the people are getting frustrated with this shallow example of treason that we get no matter who we vote for.
The unions are also getting a bad name because of their exorbitant dues and their refusal to do the right thing on the day to day grievances that the members are facing.
AMEN suddencall you have said it all.
Andrea I don’t think you have checked any facts.
Last year we had 680,000 applications for legal immigration.
We naturalized 1,046,539 new citizens,231,815 from Mexico.
That’s more than we took from any other nation,doesn’t seem fair to me.
Oh yeah it takes about 9 years for a person to become a legal citizen.Why should illegals get a break?
Is it because they are just human beings trying to feed their families or is it because we just owe it to them?
I believe we are taking plenty of immigrants into our way of life and they are willing to do it the right way.I applaud them.I’m not against immigration but the illegals are just what I called them SCABS.
This topic has nothing to do with Unions it has everything to do with what is right and wrong.
The illegal immigrant does not care about right and wrong or they would not be here.
Since the days of ancient Rome and Greece those in power have used “foreign” immigrants as a wedge to drive wages down and pit one worker against another. Our job as conscious workers is to assist these immigrants to gain union recognition and full citizenship rights so as to increase the value of all labor. Many of these recent immigrants are veterans of huge social struggle in their homelands and have gained much experience that can help their U.S. brothers and sisters in struggle against the common enemy – capitalism!
We need to direct our anger against those who have created a world in which men and women, to feed their families and themselves, need to risk live and limb and struggle in a new land to survive. If your rich or an anti-communist you can get in this country carte blanche and no one is spitting on you, or attacking you with baseball bats or trying to deport you.
If the labor movement does not take the lead in organizing all the immigrant work force and support the struggles of immigrants in the battle for housing, health care and jobs then you are creating people who will not look to labor in the future. If there is a problem with a lack of jobs and housing don’t blame it on the immigrants but look no farther then your local banker, politician and businessman. Why the hell doesn’t the average worker struggle against he continuing wars in the Middle East that kill hundreds of thousands, drain trillions of dollars from the taxpayers and debt burdern themselves, children and grandchildren?
Time that the labor movement direct in the direction of helping those less fortuante and struggling against the system that exploits us all then throwing stones at the least able to defend themselves. Sort of like the husband beating the wife because the boss is screwing him everyday.
Immigrants do have, and are entitled to, rights in this country. Illegals do not (or at least they should not) have, and are not entitled to, rights in this country.
I just paid a visit to the NDLON web site and there’s a link to click showing where they ‘work’. I am happy and proud to say they do NOT ‘work’ in my state. And I feel reasonably certain that if they ever attempt to ‘work’ in my state they will quickly be shown ‘the border’. LOL!
Illegalsgohome is typical of people who want to distract working people from focusing our energy on the victims of our broken trade, labor, and immigration laws. Corporate America would love to have all of us workers fighting among ourselves so they can continue to make super profits off all of our backs.
But according to Illegalsgohome, immigrant workers, specifically day laborers are the casuse of our bad trades deals. They are to blame for displacing U.S. workers and workers all over the country. Day laborers are to blame for not passing the Employee Free Choice Act, and they are also responsible for Congress’ broken immigration laws. If this sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is.
Day laborers are the result of all of these anti-worker policies. And somehow, illegalsgohome wants to focus his anger at these workers. Thanks but no thanks.
I’m glad the AFL-CIO can see through the lies and anger. Unions are about uniting workers on issues that help working families. If the AFL-CIO can work with day laborers to defend the rights of working families, then that is good. Did you hear his speech? He said day laborers would stand with union members on the picket line and to support the Employee Free Choice Act, the labor union’s number one issue. Why would we push them away?
Let’s get real. Let’s remember which side we are on.
Today’s AFL-CIO is simply being played by Corporate America.
By working to help flood the United States’ labor pool with illegal immigrant workers, the AFL-CIO is actually being Corporate America’s very own tool for lowering US wages.
James Parks and too many in the AFL-CIO intentionally confuse immigrants with ILLEGAL immigrants. They are NOT one in the same.
ILLEGAL immigrants are just that ILLEGAL. Lawbreakers.
The AFL-CIO seems to want to “cherry pick” which laws it wants enforced. It’s despicable that they put jobs for illegal immigrants above those for law-abiding citizens.
It’s despicable that Labor Sec. Solis’ new Labor Dept. newsletter is chocked full of Hispanic rights battles, news regarding meetings with Hispanics, standing up for illegal day laborers, etc. Her agenda is clear. She’s not fighting for US workers, but to further the agenda of the Hispanics/Latinos.
Biased, Racist; that’s Solis.
All workers Unite needs to leave Illegals Go Home and review MEXICO’s immigration system..or better yet…move there
strongbuck and grace clearly are allowing their racists backward ideas to cloud thier judgement. Grace thinks it is wrong for Secretary Solis to meet with “hispanics”. What is the matter with you? If I said Solis shouldn’t meet with white people or Asians I would be considered a racist. Racism has no place in the labor movement. Period.
You said too many in the AFL-CIO intentionally confuse immigration with Illegal immigrants. Wrong. You confuse all hispanics with anything illegal. Simply having Sec’y Solis meet with workers who are hispanic, some of the most exploited workers, must mean she is against US workers. I think you are very confused.
As for strongbuck, you clearly don’t make sense. I should review Mexico’s immigration system? What are you talking about? You don’t make sense. As far as moving to Mexico because you disagree with me, that sounds silly.
You never addressed anything I wrote. Why should we punish workers who are victims of NAFTA? Why don’t we change the rules so workers can have jobs that won’t force people to migrate? How about changing our immigration laws? The AFL-CIO should be about solving problems, not scapegoating workers.
If you haven’t figured that out, you need to go to a trade unionist basics class. First lesson, workers should work together for all of our betterment. Getting stuck on someone’s status won’t get you anywhere. Focus your energy on big businees and the Chamber of Commerce. They hate workers’ rights more than you hate immigrants, legal or illegal. Which side are you on?