WHEREAS:
Reforming our nation’s immigration policies emerged as a front burner issue in the 109th Congress. And while there is a widely shared agreement that the current immigration system is broken, there is no consensus on how to “fix” its many problems; and
WHEREAS:
The House passed an enforcement only bill, H.R. 4437, that would authorize the construction of vast border fences, require that every employer verify the legal status of every employee, make it a federal felony crime, instead of a civil offense, for any person – man, woman or child - to be in the U.S. in violation of an immigration law or regulation, and criminalize anyone who assists an undocumented worker; and
WHEREAS:
The Senate-passed legislation, S 2611, is a broader bill that would provide earned legalization for those undocumented workers who have been in the U.S. for more than five years; greatly expand guest worker programs so that employers would be able to bring hundreds of thousands of new foreign workers into the U.S. annually on a temporary basis, and increase border security including the construction of a wall on certain portions of the U.S.-Mexico border; and
WHEREAS:
It is highly unlikely that the House and Senate will agree on a compromise bill before the November elections, and therefore immigration reform is expected to be a major election year issue. An unfortunate consequence of this lack of a consensus is that the issue of immigration has been manipulated by some to create a wedge to divide workers; and
WHEREAS:
Anti-immigrant prejudice is already being used in federal and state efforts to disenfranchise U.S.-born citizens who are unable to produce a birth certificate or passport from voting or receiving Medicaid and Medicare; and
WHEREAS:
America has always been and continues to be a nation of immigrants. Today, the fortunes and futures of all workers are linked regardless of immigration status, yet millions of hard-working people who make enormous contributions to their communities and workplaces are denied basic human rights because of their undocumented status; and
WHEREAS:
Immigration policies have a far-reaching impact on the U.S. economy, affecting the supply of labor, wage levels and working conditions; on the demand and costs of public services – e.g. health care, social services, police and education; on our national security policies; and on the very concept of who is an American and who is “entitled” to work and live in America; and
WHEREAS:
Most immigrants come to the United States because there is a lack of quality jobs at home that pay enough to keep their families out of dire poverty. This is the result of the failed economic policies in their home countries but are made worse by U.S. trade and international development policies. Trans-national agreements such as NAFTA and the WTO and the neo-liberal policies of privatization, deregulation, slashing social spending and cutting taxes for the rich have devastated economies around the world, forcing a mass movement of peoples on every continent; and
WHEREAS:
Thirteen years ago, when the Congress passed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) its proponents claimed that it would curtail illegal immigration because it would create good jobs in Mexico. However, just the opposite has occurred. Real wages in Mexico have plummeted since NAFTA was passed, and millions of farmers lost their land to foreign owned multinational corporations. As a consequence, illegal migration from Mexico has soared and today accounts for three-quarters of all undocumented immigrants into the U.S.; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME is first and foremost committed to protecting its members’ wages and rights on the job, as well as those same rights for its future members and workers throughout our country. Our current immigration policies permit unscrupulous employers to exploit undocumented workers, which in turn drives down the wages of all similarly employed workers, citizens and immigrants alike. Currently, employers are able to exploit the 11-12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. by paying them very low wages and sometimes even cheating them out of the wages they have earned; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME recognizes that the fight for immigrant rights is also a fight for workers’ rights. Immigrants and native-born workers founded the American union movement to fight exploitation and abuse and to bring about improved working conditions and living standards for all working families. And this tradition continues today as immigrants continue to stand at the frontline of AFSCME campaigns. If the undocumented workers who are currently in the U.S. had legal status they could more easily join unions that would benefit all workers because it would curtail the ability of employers to exploit undocumented workers by paying them low wages and denying them workplace rights; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME has been and continues to be at the forefront of the effort to ensure that all workers regardless of their immigration status are treated with dignity and are able to enjoy their full rights and protections under the law. Undocumented immigrants work hard, pay taxes and contribute to their communities and the nation, but are denied basic human rights because of their undocumented status; and
WHEREAS:
It is unrealistic to believe that the current population of undocumented workers now living in the U.S. will leave voluntarily to return to their home countries where there is a paucity of jobs. They have come here at great personal risk in response to the failure of their home countries’ economies to provide them with jobs that can support their families who have often remained at home; and
WHEREAS:
A policy of vast guest worker programs is the equivalent of outsourcing jobs to countries where workers are forced to work for very low wages. Instead of outsourcing U.S. jobs, vast guest worker programs would import workers on a temporary basis to work for low wages here. Vastly expanded guest worker programs will be used to displace U.S. workers with temporary immigrant workers who would have few employment rights and would be paid the lowest possible legal wage. The utilization of a vast guest worker program will therefore depress wages for all workers in entire occupations and industries that employ large numbers of temporary foreign workers; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME members represent the diversity of this country; and
WHEREAS:
In a post-9/11 world, we need to protect and strengthen our borders but without permitting discrimination, racial or ethnic profiling, or other abusive treatment of immigrants.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME help lead the lobbying and organizing efforts to pass legislation that would provide a realistic, comprehensive and compassionate solution to our current problematic immigration policies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME supports full labor protections and civil rights for immigrant workers and their families so that immigrants can join a union and with their union brothers and sisters demand better pay, better benefits, better working conditions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME reject and oppose employers who use the threat of immigration law and deportation to intimidate workers who attempt to organize a union; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME supports immigration reform legislation that provides for an earned path to legalization for the 11-12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. This would put a stop to the underground second-class worker economy that hurts all people; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME supports family reunification measures that would permit immigrant families to be reunited; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME opposes any expanded use of guest worker programs because guest worker programs exert a continued downward pressure on the wages, benefits and working conditions of all U.S. workers, and especially those in occupations that employ similarly skilled workers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That our current guest worker programs be reformed by the inclusion of more rigorous labor market tests, required prevailing wage levels and the involvement of labor unions in the labor certification process; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME opposes the House-passed immigration bill, H.R. 4437 and those portions of S 2611 that would criminalize undocumented workers and those who assist immigrants – such as providing public services, place in detention or deport all 11-12 million undocumented workers, and build high walls along the U.S.-Mexico border; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME opposes any proposal that would require that the president or any other official certify that the borders are “secure” before there are any changes to the current immigration laws; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That U.S. trade and development policies also be reformed so that workers in both the U.S. and abroad are able to share in the benefits of globalization and trade instead of being its common victims; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME supports strengthening our border security in a manner that does not result in abusive treatment of immigrants; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME calls for all local unions, officers, joint councils to work together to fight for the rights of workers – in the tradition of the Civil Rights Movement – and pledge to support the fight for immigrant rights.
SUBMITTED BY: INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Theodorah McKenna, Delegate
Bradley R. Stevens, Delegate
AFSCME Local 2712, Council 36
Vasdev Singh, Delegate
AFSCME Local 3090, Council 36
Joyce Rooney, Delegate
AFSCME Local 3339, Council 36
Vivian Yoshioka, Delegate
AFSCME Local 575, Council 36
Karen Norwood, Delegate
AFSCME Local 3302, Council 36
Judy West
AFSCME Local 741, Council 36
California
Stephen Edwards, President and Delegate
Peter Anderson, Secretary and Delegate
Diane Stokes, Vice President
Phillip Mark, Executive Board Member
AFSCME Local 2858, Council 31
Illinois
Roy Stone, President and Delegate
Ruth E. Seid, Recording Secretary
AFSCME Local 2626, Council 36
California
Jorge Olvera, Delegate
AFSCME Local 3299
California
Claude Fort, President and Delegate
AFSCME Local 375, Council 37
New York