AFL-CIO tips off feds concerning immigrants

[Incendiarism]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IMMIGRATION_RAID?SITE=INLAF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Wasn't sure whether to post it here or the worker's struggle board, but it seems far more pertinent here I think.

Anyways, not sure what to say really...doesn't come as any surprise that they'd find ways to separate the workers this way. What really got me was this: "When the first of the 595 suspected illegal immigrants was taken into custody Monday, some fellow workers broke into applause."

[Red October]

This is awful, but sadly unsurprising. Business unions like the AFL-CIO often side with the bosses against workers and even their own members. This is just helping the bosses divide workers and weaken the movement.

[Dean]

This underlines the disparity between the rhetoric and actions of the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win coalition. This is primarily related to the AFL-CIO's exclusory and nationalist policies, and a part of this is thier refusal to focus on organizing. I predict that in the future, the AFL-CIO will fall out of favor, and a new worker's movement which focuses on inclusory organizing will come in to take its place.

[cyu]

Well, one of the arguments sometimes used by organized labor is that the hiring of illegal immigrants drives down everyone’s wages. Because the immigrants are afraid of getting caught and have nowhere else to go, they are willing to accept much lower pay than those living here without fear. It’s hard to enforce minimum wage or work safety standards when the employees are too afraid to come forward – so the employers that hire these immigrants have an unfair advantage in the market.

Instead of fighting illegal immigration, I think organized labor should encourage the immigrants (and themselves) to simply take democratic control over their places of work.

[Asoka89]

Their fighting for their own workers whose have their benefits and wages cut because of the race to the bottom... unions need to push for immigration reform and for a renegotiation of NAFTA

[KurtFF8]

Well, one of the arguments sometimes used by organized labor is that the hiring of illegal immigrants drives down everyone’s wages. Because the immigrants are afraid of getting caught and have nowhere else to go, they are willing to accept much lower pay than those living here without fear. It’s hard to enforce minimum wage or work safety standards when the employees are too afraid to come forward – so the employers that hire these immigrants have an unfair advantage in the market.

Instead of fighting illegal immigration, I think organized labor should encourage the immigrants (and themselves) to simply take democratic control over their places of work.

This is of course false, as immigrants have actually increased workers wages more than decreased them.

This i just more evidence of how the AFL-CIO does not represent the interest of all workers.

[cyu]

immigrants have actually increased workers wages more than decreased them.

If immigrants move to nations with more rights to organize, then the amount of labor available for exploitation decreases, thus increasing wages for everyone.

It doesn't go far enough of course. Wages would increase much more if everyone just assumed democratic control over their places of work.

Even if all illegal immigrants were forced back to their countries of origin, the jobs here would just be shipped overseas anyway, in search of cheap labor and nations with less rights to organize.

[KurtFF8]

It doesn't go far enough of course. Wages would increase much more if everyone just assumed democratic control over their places of work.


Of course, but it is good to debunk the reactionary/nationalist rhetoric. Especially when the facts are the complete opposite of what they're claming.

[cyu]

it is good to debunk the reactionary/nationalist rhetoric. Especially when the facts are the complete opposite of what they're claming.

Agreed =]

[chimx]

Businesses that exploit cheap immigrant labor so as to avoid union labor should be fought just as much as businesses that outsource to other countries to exploit a non-union labor force.

Unfortunately there is little the unions can do from a legal standpoint. Yes they can offer them membership in the unions and say they will try to help them obtain papers and change their legal status, but ultimately they are not government organizations and are subject to state whims.

It's important for us to not do what many workers have done and blame the immigrant workforce but rather blame the employer for creating such a situation that creates conflicts between working peoples. Still, short of full amnesty, there is little wiggle room.