Today, the New York Times reports that the two largest labor federations in America, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and Change to Win (CTW) have agreed on a common framework for comprehensive immigration reform. Their plan includes a path to legal status for undocumented workers, a commission to regulate the entry of workers in the future, labor protections, and enforcement. Following is a statement from Frank Sharry, founder and Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“This is a dramatic breakthrough that greatly improves the chances of enacting comprehensive immigration reform this year. It points to the fact that reform is good for workers, good for honest employers who are undercut by unscrupulous competitors, good for taxpayers, and good for the rule of law.
“Comprehensive immigration reform will lift wages by creating a level playing field. It will generate revenues by ensuring that all workers and employers pay their fair share of taxes. And it will restore the rule of law to our borders and our workplaces.
“Today’s announcement reveals the lie to the anti-immigrant argument that comprehensive immigration reform is bad for American workers. Opponents of comprehensive immigration reform can no longer claim to represent ‘the American worker’ when the entire labor movement is calling for the enactment of real reform now.
“The AFL-CIO and Change to Win–including leaders John Sweeney, Joseph Hansen, and others who worked diligently to craft this framework–deserve a lot of credit for tackling this tough problem in a thoughtful, pragmatic way. We look forward to working with them to achieve progress this year, bring more workers and employers into the system, and improve labor standards for all.”
America’s Voice — Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform.
http://www.americasvoiceonline.org/
###
