Big news this afternoon with reports that a deal has been reached between the gang of eight senators and the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce on the creation of a new worker program. And, Ana Avendaño, Director of immigration and community action at the AFL-CIO, tweeted:
We have a deal on future flow- data based system + new visa program not temp or guestworker. Onward!
— Ana Avendaño (@Ana_AFLCIO) March 30, 2013
In response to this significant development, here’s the statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice Education Fund:
The apparent agreement between labor and business is a historic breakthrough. It is the first time in our generation that the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce have come to terms on a new worker program. We applaud labor and business for devising a ‘break the mold’ approach that carefully balances the need to protect native-born and immigrant workers alike with the desire of employers to access foreign workers when legitimately needed. Moreover, it marks a milestone in the evolution of immigration reform, an issue whose moment of truth seems to have arrived. This breakthrough significantly increases the likelihood of reform with a new roadmap to citizenship for 11 million immigrants.
