[quote]WASHINGTON -- The country’s largest trade union came out in defense of undocumented workers on Thursday, criticizing a recent ruling by the federal labor board that makes it harder for such workers to recover backpay they’re owed by employers.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled last month that it cannot award backpay to an undocumented worker whose rights were violated, even if it’s proven that the employer knowingly broke the law by hiring the worker. In its decision, the board implied that it regretted issuing the decision but had no choice but to do so, given precedent set by a previous Supreme Court ruling on the matter.

But Ana Avendano, director of the AFL-CIO’s immigration program, said such a ruling did not need to be made -- and that it amounts to “an invitation to exploitâ€