Top unionists involved in immigration issues panned the latest Bush administration plan dealing with both undocumented immigrant workers already in the United States and with people who want to come here to work.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Laborers President Terence O'Sullivan and others said Bush helped businesses that exploit undocumented workers, but not the workers themselves.
Bush unveiled his plan on Jan. 7, days before a meeting with Mexican President Vincente Fox in Monterrey, Mexico. Fox has pushed for legalization of the undocumented workers in the United States. Around half of the 8 million-10 million workers come from Mexico.
If approved by Congress, Bush's "temporary worker program" would let foreign workers already here who have jobs seek 3-year legal work permits. Bush did not say how many times the foreign workers could renew the permits.
But what Bush proposed won't help the workers, O'Sullivan said. Labor has pushed for immigrant worker rights, including labor law protection, starting in 2001.
"True and meaningful immigration reform must provide a clear path to legalization," such as "green cards," for immigrant workers who have been here, paid taxes and held jobs for years, O'Sullivan pointed out. It can't, as Bush does, "chain a worker to an employer and claim to protect workers' rights."
Sweeney said Bush would create a "permanent underclass of workers" open to "abuse and exploitation, while undermining protections for all workers."
Bush's proposal "will serve large corporations' needs over those of immigrant workers and their families," Sweeney said, adding the AFL-CIO would oppose it and push for "comprehensive and fair" immigration law changes.
Organizers of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride struck a similar note. Led by HERE Vice President Maria Elena Durazo, IWFR brought thousands of immigrant workers to Washington last fall to lobby Congress for their rights.
"If there is any reform here, it is of 'old' temporary worker programs, including the notorious and discredited 'bracero' program," the IWFR said.
A worker abroad with a job lined up here could also seek a permit, but employers must prove no Americans wanted the job, Bush claimed. Bush also said, but did not specify how, that "temporary workers would get all the same protections accorded to American workers." A U.S. Supreme Court decision several years ago denied labor law remedies to undocumented workers.
Bush said workers with permits would not have an advantage in seeking "green cards" for permanent residence. But they could bring their families, after proving they can support them.
The unionists, who have pushed hard for permanent residence to undocumented workers who have lived, worked, paid taxes and kept out of trouble for years in the U.S., said Bush's plan fell short--or worse. They said they would oppose it.
Bush "appears to rely on making sure workers are beholden to a single employer" to become legal, said O'Sullivan, whose union has a high share of immigrant members from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia.
"Chaining workers to a single employer...protects corporations and employers, but does it protect the rights of workers?" he asked. "Immigration reform is a moral issue."
As a practical matter, O'Sullivan noted Bush did not say whether an immigrant worker with a permit who raises questions about job safety and health or substandard wages would end up being protected, or deported.
That means Bush ends up "protecting the often-abusive behavior of employers who end up hiring undocumented workers, but leaves workers themselves vulnerable and beholden to those employers for the right to stay here," O'Sullivan concluded.
Oregon's Farmworkers Union and an allied group there, CAUSA, said Bush missed an opportunity to support and build upon more-comprehensive legislation for immigrants. That legislation was hammered out in months of bargaining last year between the United Farm Workers and representatives of the nation's growers.
"He instead proposed the creation of a potentially huge new 'guest worker' program that would essentially create a workforce with second-class status with no meaningful access to legal status or citizenship," they said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
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Top unionists involved in immigration issues panned the latest Bush administration plan dealing with both undocumented immigrant workers already in the United States and with people who want to come here to work.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Laborers President Terence O’Sullivan and others said Bush helped businesses that exploit undocumented workers, but not the workers themselves.
Bush unveiled his plan on Jan. 7, days before a meeting with Mexican President Vincente Fox in Monterrey, Mexico. Fox has pushed for legalization of the undocumented workers in the United States. Around half of the 8 million-10 million workers come from Mexico.
If approved by Congress, Bush’s “temporary worker program” would let foreign workers already here who have jobs seek 3-year legal work permits. Bush did not say how many times the foreign workers could renew the permits.
But what Bush proposed won’t help the workers, O’Sullivan said. Labor has pushed for immigrant worker rights, including labor law protection, starting in 2001.
“True and meaningful immigration reform must provide a clear path to legalization,” such as “green cards,” for immigrant workers who have been here, paid taxes and held jobs for years, O’Sullivan pointed out. It can’t, as Bush does, “chain a worker to an employer and claim to protect workers’ rights.”
Sweeney said Bush would create a “permanent underclass of workers” open to “abuse and exploitation, while undermining protections for all workers.”
Bush’s proposal “will serve large corporations’ needs over those of immigrant workers and their families,” Sweeney said, adding the AFL-CIO would oppose it and push for “comprehensive and fair” immigration law changes.
Organizers of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride struck a similar note. Led by HERE Vice President Maria Elena Durazo, IWFR brought thousands of immigrant workers to Washington last fall to lobby Congress for their rights.
“If there is any reform here, it is of ‘old’ temporary worker programs, including the notorious and discredited ‘bracero’ program,” the IWFR said.
A worker abroad with a job lined up here could also seek a permit, but employers must prove no Americans wanted the job, Bush claimed. Bush also said, but did not specify how, that “temporary workers would get all the same protections accorded to American workers.” A U.S. Supreme Court decision several years ago denied labor law remedies to undocumented workers.
Bush said workers with permits would not have an advantage in seeking “green cards” for permanent residence. But they could bring their families, after proving they can support them.
The unionists, who have pushed hard for permanent residence to undocumented workers who have lived, worked, paid taxes and kept out of trouble for years in the U.S., said Bush’s plan fell short–or worse. They said they would oppose it.
Bush “appears to rely on making sure workers are beholden to a single employer” to become legal, said O’Sullivan, whose union has a high share of immigrant members from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia.
“Chaining workers to a single employer…protects corporations and employers, but does it protect the rights of workers?” he asked. “Immigration reform is a moral issue.”
As a practical matter, O’Sullivan noted Bush did not say whether an immigrant worker with a permit who raises questions about job safety and health or substandard wages would end up being protected, or deported.
That means Bush ends up “protecting the often-abusive behavior of employers who end up hiring undocumented workers, but leaves workers themselves vulnerable and beholden to those employers for the right to stay here,” O’Sullivan concluded.
Oregon’s Farmworkers Union and an allied group there, CAUSA, said Bush missed an opportunity to support and build upon more-comprehensive legislation for immigrants. That legislation was hammered out in months of bargaining last year between the United Farm Workers and representatives of the nation’s growers.
“He instead proposed the creation of a potentially huge new ‘guest worker’ program that would essentially create a workforce with second-class status with no meaningful access to legal status or citizenship,” they said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.