Saying immigrant workers are among the most abused and exploited in the country, the AFL-CIO is launching a drive to force lawmakers to rewrite the nation's immigration laws.
"Every worker must have a base floor for their standard of living, and that includes immigrants," declared AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President Linda Chavez-Thompson during the federation's mid-February Executive Council meeting in Los Angeles.
"More than one-quarter of the new entrants into the labor force are from Mexico, China, the Philippines and India," added Chavez-Thompson, herself a descendant of Mexican immigrants to Texas.
The latest drive comes a year after the AFL-CIO changed its policy on immigration. It now supports an amnesty for the six million illegal workers, coupled with workers' rights.
Exploitation
Undocumented workers are the most exploited workers, says Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees President John Wilhelm, chair of the federation committee on the issue.
Recent National Labor Relations Board and court rulings say labor law covers illegal immigrant workers, but companies use immigration law to trample worker, he adds.
The 1986 immigration law's employer sanctions "don't work - except when an employer takes advantage of them to destroy workers who want their rights," by calling in federal immigration inspectors, he adds.
"If you're out trying to organize today, then you know that in every occupation, there are immigrant workers. And they're working hard and paying taxes and deserve the same rights as other workers," he said.
In the construction industry, employer sanctions for hiring illegal immigrants "have worked against workers," says Laborers President Terry O'Sullivan, whose union is 30 percent Latino. As one example of immigrant exploitation in construction, Phoenix workers who are trying to organize with the Roofers are paid on a piecework basis.
This article provided by Press Associates news service. Used with permission.
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Saying immigrant workers are among the most abused and exploited in the country, the AFL-CIO is launching a drive to force lawmakers to rewrite the nation’s immigration laws.
“Every worker must have a base floor for their standard of living, and that includes immigrants,” declared AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President Linda Chavez-Thompson during the federation’s mid-February Executive Council meeting in Los Angeles.
“More than one-quarter of the new entrants into the labor force are from Mexico, China, the Philippines and India,” added Chavez-Thompson, herself a descendant of Mexican immigrants to Texas.
The latest drive comes a year after the AFL-CIO changed its policy on immigration. It now supports an amnesty for the six million illegal workers, coupled with workers’ rights.
Exploitation
Undocumented workers are the most exploited workers, says Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees President John Wilhelm, chair of the federation committee on the issue.
Recent National Labor Relations Board and court rulings say labor law covers illegal immigrant workers, but companies use immigration law to trample worker, he adds.
The 1986 immigration law’s employer sanctions “don’t work – except when an employer takes advantage of them to destroy workers who want their rights,” by calling in federal immigration inspectors, he adds.
“If you’re out trying to organize today, then you know that in every occupation, there are immigrant workers. And they’re working hard and paying taxes and deserve the same rights as other workers,” he said.
In the construction industry, employer sanctions for hiring illegal immigrants “have worked against workers,” says Laborers President Terry O’Sullivan, whose union is 30 percent Latino. As one example of immigrant exploitation in construction, Phoenix workers who are trying to organize with the Roofers are paid on a piecework basis.
This article provided by Press Associates news service. Used with permission.