Momentum Grows for Immigration Reform with Pathway to Citizenship
More than 160 state and local labor federations and central labor councils have passed resolutions in support of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for aspiring citizens already in the United States. The labor organizations that have passed resolutions so far come from 39 different states and represent more than 6 million workers.
Local union leaders are expressing their support for the resolution:
āThis morning we stand here together to say that immigrant workers have suffered long enough,ā said MaryBe McMillan, [North Carolina] AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer. āIt is time for the labor movement to do the right thing, to organize and fight back, because when we allow one group of workers to be exploited, all workers suffer.ā
The resolution is gaining traction in states all over the United States:
President John Olsen said, āThe Connecticut AFL-CIO believes that working people are strongest when we work together and our movement is strongest when it welcomes all workers. On a regular basis, the more than 11 million immigrant aspiring citizens who contribute to our communities, country, and economy are denied a voice at work and other basic rights. The creation of a road map to citizenship would not only stop employers from continuing to take advantage of our failed immigration policies; it would improve wages and labor standards for all workers by giving immigrant workers a voice on the job.ā
A draft copy of the resolution is below:
[State Federation/CLC/ALF/Union Local] AFL-CIO Resolution Supporting a Road Map to Citizenship for Aspiring Americans
[DATE]
WHEREAS:
Every day, more than 11 million immigrant aspiring citizens contribute to our communities, our economy and our countryāyet they are denied a voice in the workplace and essential rights in our society;
WHEREAS:
A strong and vibrant democracy cannot function unless all men and women, regardless of their skin color or where they were born, can participate meaningfully in the political process with full rights and equal protections;
WHEREAS:
The union movement recognizes that the way we treat new immigrants reflects our commitment to the values that define us;
WHEREAS:
Working people are strongest when working together and the union movement is strongest when it is open to all workers, regardless of where they come from;
WHEREAS:
The creation of a road map to citizenship for immigrant aspiring Americans would improve wages and labor standards for all workers by giving immigrant workers a voice in the workplace and halting employers who take advantage of our failed immigration policies to pursue a race to the bottom;
WHEREAS:
The dreams of young immigrants to have access to quality education and the hopes of millions of immigrants to reunify their families reflect core American values;
WHEREAS:
Americaās unions remain committed to working together on the side of justice for all, along with our community partners, including civil rights, human rights and immigrant rights organizations, to pass fundamental reform that encompasses these principles;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That the [State Federation/CLC/ALF/Union Local] AFL-CIO, which represents the voices of more than [Number] working families in [State or Region], calls upon Congress to pass common-sense immigration reform that includes a practical and inclusive road map to citizenship and that reflects the principles outlined in the unified union movementās framework for comprehensive immigration reform, āImmigration for Shared Prosperity: A Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reformā;
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
The [State Federation/CLC/ALF/Union Local] AFL-CIO will continue to work with allies to promote comprehensive immigration reform based on the principles outlined in this resolution and will communicate this position to [State]ās congressional delegation.
Read the labor movement's blueprint for immigration reform which includes:
1. An independent commission to assess and manage future ļ¬ows, based on labor market shortages that are determined on the basis of actual need;
2. A secure and effective worker authorization mechanism;
3. Rational operational control of the border;
4. Adjustment of status for the current undocumented population; and
5. Improvement, not expansion, of temporary worker programs, limited to temporary or seasonal, not permanent, jobs.
