Thread: Exec Officer of NCOSH says INS Was Unfair/No Apology Ltr

http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hslett ... tml#626246
July 14, 2005

INS ruse was unfair to hard working immigrants

The Associated Press recently reported that the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a sham, mandatory OSHA safety training session at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to ensnare undocumented workers. In essence, the INS used a respected and important tool for workplace safety to trap workers who showed up hoping to learn how to protect their safety on the job.

This worsens difficult conditions for aid workers who already face an uphill battle against the justified fears of a frightened population. For almost 30 years the Durham based non-profit group the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project (NCOSH) has worked to educate North Carolina workers on their rights to safe and healthy workplaces. We have dedicated substantial resources to conducting outreach to immigrant workers over the past 10 years.

Our mission is to educate, but also to give power to workers to exercise their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Many immigrants come to our country to escape poverty and oppression. They come and, like early American immigrants, work in some of the most dangerous jobs. Many come from countries that lack workplace safety regulations and they assume that injuries and hazards are just part of the job.

NCOSH and other immigrant advocacy groups work with this population to help them understand the laws that were created to support all workers as they contribute to our factory, industrial and service industries.

What the INS has done is to undermine the cornerstone of my organization's grassroots organizing and the state of North Carolina's own Occupational Safety and Health Division's hard won trust from immigrant workers. The INS's callous misuse of a critical tool for workers can only help perpetuate the unfair treatment of immigrant workers.

The writer is executive director of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project.

Amy Kaufman
DURHAM
July 14, 2005

Who wants to tell her that there is no longer an INS?

Originally Posted by butterbean

http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hsletters/index.html#626246
July 14, 2005

INS ruse was unfair to hard working immigrants

The Associated Press recently reported that the Immigration and Naturalization Service used a sham, mandatory OSHA safety training session at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to ensnare undocumented workers. In essence, the INS used a respected and important tool for workplace safety to trap workers who showed up hoping to learn how to protect their safety on the job.

This worsens difficult conditions for aid workers who already face an uphill battle against the justified fears of a frightened population. For almost 30 years the Durham based non-profit group the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project (NCOSH) has worked to educate North Carolina workers on their rights to safe and healthy workplaces. We have dedicated substantial resources to conducting outreach to immigrant workers over the past 10 years.

Our mission is to educate, but also to give power to workers to exercise their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Many immigrants come to our country to escape poverty and oppression. They come and, like early American immigrants, work in some of the most dangerous jobs. Many come from countries that lack workplace safety regulations and they assume that injuries and hazards are just part of the job.

NCOSH and other immigrant advocacy groups work with this population to help them understand the laws that were created to support all workers as they contribute to our factory, industrial and service industries.

What the INS has done is to undermine the cornerstone of my organization's grassroots organizing and the state of North Carolina's own Occupational Safety and Health Division's hard won trust from immigrant workers. The INS's callous misuse of a critical tool for workers can only help perpetuate the unfair treatment of immigrant workers.

The writer is executive director of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project.

Amy Kaufman
DURHAM
July 14, 2005

I would point out to you Ms Kaufman that you apparently do not understand those illegals were not supposed to be in this country in the first place. There are some things on a higher scale than safety. One of them is legality. Safety comes after legality and you being in your position should be able to figure that out. If it takes a ruse to expose and catch those illegals, so be it. I think there should be multiple ruses going on at all times to catch them AND---->deport them. Need I remind you that they don't get the name illegal for nothing?

Personally I would like to see those governmental official(s) that complained about the ruse get the pink slip. If you want to help those illegals continue to stay in this country illegally, I suggest you find a position with the ACLU. I think they are working overtime on the project and might want your help.

Does anyone have an email address for this idiot??? I can't believe she is so ignorant that she is still calling ICE INS. This is what we are getting for our taxes, folks. I want to give her a piece of my mind. I'll go to the Durham newspaper and see if I can find a contact email address.

Okay, y'all. Here is Ms. Kaufman's contact information. From what I can tell, she is NOT employed by the state but I'm going to try to find out now.
Below is the email I sent to her:

I was appalled to read your letter in the Durham newspaper slamming the "INS" which, by the way, has not been INS for a year or more. It is now ICE--Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The name says it all. They are charged by our Department of Homeland Security to ENFORCE immigration laws. WHATEVER they have to do in order to protect our country is fine with me and is fine with most law-abiding citizens of this state.

When did it become more important for you to be concerned about illegal immigrants safety instead of the safety of ALL legal residents of North Carolina and the United States? Do you realize that YOU are breaking the law by employing these people? This situation WILL get better because, with the support of the majority of the citizens of this state, the government IS going to crack down on both the people who commit the crime of coming to this country illegally AND the employers who aid and abet them by employing them.

I don't know who pays your salary but, before the day is out, I will find out. Many more letters like the one published in the Durham paper will create a vacancy in your position.

Found it! She works for the AFL-CIO. This is a UNION group! Need I say more???

Originally Posted by Bootsie

Okay, y'all. Here is Ms. Kaufman's contact information. From what I can tell, she is NOT employed by the state but I'm going to try to find out now.
Below is the email I sent to her:
I was appalled to read your letter in the Durham newspaper slamming the "INS" which, by the way, has not been INS for a year or more. It is now ICE--Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The name says it all. They are charged by our Department of Homeland Security to ENFORCE immigration laws. WHATEVER they have to do in order to protect our country is fine with me and is fine with most law-abiding citizens of this state.
When did it become more important for you to be concerned about illegal immigrants safety instead of the safety of ALL legal residents of North Carolina and the United States? Do you realize that YOU are breaking the law by employing these people? This situation WILL get better because, with the support of the majority of the citizens of this state, the government IS going to crack down on both the people who commit the crime of coming to this country illegally AND the employers who aid and abet them by employing them.
I don't know who pays your salary but, before the day is out, I will find out. Many more letters like the one published in the Durham paper will create a vacancy in your position.

Bootsie, she IS employed by the state of N.C. It's a letter to the editor, and it says at the bottom that letter writer is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Occupational Safety & Health Project.
Or am I misreading it?

When I put in on Google--"North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project", it pulled up the AFL-CIO website and listed a bunch of different states with similar organizations. I think anything can be named "North Carolina...." and not actually be a state agency. I looked under state agencies and didn't find a thing that resembled that.

Check it out.

Originally Posted by Bootsie

When I put in on Google--"North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project", it pulled up the AFL-CIO website and listed a bunch of different states with similar organizations. I think anything can be named "North Carolina...." and not actually be a state agency. I looked under state agencies and didn't find a thing that resembled that.

Check it out.

WOW! I GUESS ANYONE CAN BE AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF A GROUP THAT THEY MADE-UP. THAT'S FUNNY!! SO, SHE'S REALLY A NOBODY. THAT'S EVEN FUNNIER!

Well--I started thinking about it and an organization can have ANY name. I can think of tons of businesses in my town that have the name of the town in the company's name but it doesn't mean that they are city government run businesses. Like we have North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem but it's not a North Carolina agency. SO, this lady wants us to THINK she works for the state but her company is employed by the state to train these workers is what I assume. All I know is that we can't take her job based on our taxes paying her salary!!! We'll have to think of another approach! I also noticed one other thing in the name of her organization. It does not say OSHA which IS a federal agency. It says NCOSH!!!! Very deceptive.