Thread: AFL-CIO Calls to Legalize Workers

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AFL-CIO Calls to Legalize Workers


July 29, 2005


The United States' largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, brought to a close its 25th annual convention with a call to legalize undocumented workers and a condemnation of the free trade agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic known as the CAFTA-DR.

"Undocumented workers and their families should get the opportunity to secure legal status through a new legalization program," says a resolution endorsed by the assembly.

The AFL-CIO also called for putting a stop to "the immoral, chaotic and illegal flow of workers across our border" and criticized the Bush administration's temporary-workers program.

Union Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson told EFE immigrants are an essential part of the U.S. economy and should "enjoy its rights."

The main organization as well as a dissident coalition formed at the Chicago convention decided to focus attention and funds on recruiting Latino workers, especially women.

Chavez-Thompson, born in Texas and the grandchild of Mexicans, said the federation would devote 30 percent of its resources to organizing industries with an abundance of Hispanics, such as construction.

It also intends to focus on companies with fewer than 20 employees, "where women earn less than men for the same work," and on industries where professionals predominate "but receive nothing more than a salary."

The AFL-CIO will seek to involve more Latinos at every level of the labor organization, through people "who speak their language, understand their culture and see the union as their home."

Chavez-Thompson explained that the federation opposes CAFTA-DR because it does not protect workers, only large corporations.

"It takes rights away from workers here, but does not give them to the workers of Central America and the Dominican Republic, because those jobs don't pay enough," she said.

Chavez-Thompson minimized the largest schism to rend the organization in 50 years, with the defection of the Teamsters and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which together accounted for more than three million members.

"We have to keep going for everyone's sake. All changes are positive," she said, noting that despite everything John Sweeney was elected federation president for a third term.

Many of those leaving the ranks will be immigrants, leaders believe, and federation stands to lose almost $35 million a year in dues, more than a third of its budget.

"It wasn't an easy decision," said SEIU president Andy Stern.

"Our world has changed. Our economy has changed. Employers have changed. But the AFL-CIO refuses to undertake fundamental change," he charged.

Teamster President James P. Hoffa called the split "historic," because it will entail growth and strengthening of the labor movement through the addition of new members.

Other unions, such as the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), the clothing and hospitality UNITE-HERE group and the Laborers International Union-North America (LIUNA), also underscored their differences with the federation and expressed their willingness to work with dissidents on a coalition dubbed "Change to Win," which also includes the United Farm Workers, or UFW.

UNITE-HERE has been active in organizing immigrants and for two years has been leading a strike at Chicago's Congress Hotel, where most employees are Hispanic.

In turn, the UFCW is waging a campaign to organize workers at La Casa del Pueblo restaurant in the Latino neighborhood of Pilsen.

Some of the reforms the dissidents demanded were in fact adopted at the convention, such as fair representation for women and people of color on the governing boards of state and national federations.

And the AFL-CIO wonders why there Memebership is declining. Oh Let me guess? Could it be because of lower pay and free health care for illegals. The only people that would join a union is a citizen or a legal resident and to go on. These company would shut there doors, if they was legalized and open a new one to hire even more illegals, if the one they have was legalized.

Boy is the AFO-CIO dumb

And, this just further explains the letter to the Editor of the Durham Sun that slammed ICE for arresting those 48 illegals at Seymour Johnson AFB. If you will remember, she signed her name and said "Director of NCOSH". At first we thought that it was like a state division of OSHA BUT, after I researched it, I discoverd that it was an arm of the AFL-CIO!!! I wrote this woman and she did reply unlike Cherie Berry, the Commisioner of the North Carolina Department of Labor. Her reply said that all her group was concerned with was the safety of these workers!! All they are REALLY concerned about is UNIONIZING those workers.

Originally Posted by Bootsie

And, this just further explains the letter to the Editor of the Durham Sun that slammed ICE for arresting those 48 illegals at Seymour Johnson AFB. If you will remember, she signed her name and said "Director of NCOSH". At first we thought that it was like a state division of OSHA BUT, after I researched it, I discoverd that it was an arm of the AFL-CIO!!! I wrote this woman and she did reply unlike Cherie Berry, the Commisioner of the North Carolina Department of Labor. Her reply said that all her group was concerned with was the safety of these workers!! All they are REALLY concerned about is UNIONIZING those workers.

Oh you are so right. not only unionizing them but exploit them too

ABSOLUTELY. All the unions want out of those people is the union dues they will get from them. They don't care about their welfare. They only care about what the illegals can do for THEM!

Originally Posted by Bootsie

ABSOLUTELY. All the unions want out of those people is the union dues they will get from them. They don't care about their welfare. They only care about what the illegals can do for THEM!

yeah the unions are not like when my Grand Father was a local president. He worked for the people and done it with out any payment.

I personally have enjoyed writing the unions, and telling them. That there is going to be less memeberships, just because of there support of illegals and the companies that hire them.

Good going, Scub!

This is the dumbest thing I have seen today. The union just wants dues. They don't care about there own citizens having jobs. These same union officials are going to lose their jobs to these ILLEGAL VERMIN. This will be economic suicide for the union, and they don't even know it. That is really stupid.

Sixx
That is about the same words, i wrote to them. Oh and on the teamsters. I told them that just look. With them allowing aliens to transfer goods to the states. That that was one less job they have.