| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2002 |
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Legalization Mobilization One of the country's largest worker organizations is reaching to its immigrant heritage to mobilize a grassroots push to promote legalization for undocumented immigrants that are working, paying taxes and making a contribution to both the national economy and their local communities. The 1.4 million member United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW)-- representing over 150,000 immigrant workers in the meatpacking and food processing industries-- is taking a leadership role in the Washington lobbying offensive on immigration reform as well as the Reward Work program, an effort to develop broad based support for legalization of undocumented workers. Thousands of UFCW members' both new immigrants, and the children and grandchildren of the past waves of immigrants' have signed Reward Work cards calling on Congress to recognize the invaluable economic contribution of immigrants with a legalization process for undocumented workers. Many industries, including the UFCW-represented industries that put food on the table for American families, would grind to a halt if immigrant workers were not there everyday doing the hard, and often dangerous, work of producing the hamburgers, the chicken, the hot dogs and the hundreds of other products that are staples of American life. At a rally today in Washington D.C., the UFCW joined with worker, religious, community, civil rights and Latino organizations to deliver the message of the Reward Workcards directly to Congress. The UFCW sent the same message on legalization,along with 100 other organizations, in a letter to the Congressional leadership. The letter argued that if undocumented workers after "entering this country, have been law-abiding contributors to the American economy...they should be afforded the opportunity to have legal" status. The letter also took aim at proposals to expand the guestworker program where employers could legally import and economically exploit immigrant workers; but, the workers would not have the opportunity to become residents or citizens, or have effectively the rights of U.S. residents or citizens. According to the letter, guestworker programs almost always lead to "employer abuse, government neglect and inevitable exploitation." The UFCW, as the leading organization of packinghouse and food processing workers, is in a unique position to build a broad-base of support for immigration reform. From the days of the The Jungle, immigrant workers always have been the primary workforce of the slaughterhouses and processing lines. Unionization of the packing industry opened the door to the American dream for millions of immigrant workers in the 20th century. Today, workers, primarily from Mexico and Central America, are actively recruited, imported and exploited in the packing and processing industries. UFCW members whose parents and grandparents were immigrant workers are connecting with the new generation of immigrants to support a dual program of legalization and unionization. "Legalization will protect the basic human rights of immigrant workers. Unionization will protect immigrant workers from economic exploitation, and help them win dignity and a decent standard of living on the job," said UFCW International President, Doug Dority. TEXT OF LETTER SENT TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP October 7, 2002 Dear Leader: We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to express our views on immigration reform. As Congress moves forward with consideration of immigration reform legislation, we wanted to make clear our position on two important issues. We believe that central to any immigration reform effort is a realistic and appropriate effort to provide an adjustment of status, or legalization, to as many of the undocumented who reside within our borders as is reasonable. If, upon entering this country, they have been law-abiding contributors to the American economy and to our society, they should be afforded an opportunity to have legal protection, as well as the rights and responsibilities of other immigrants. At the same time, we oppose expansion of existing temporary non-immigrant worker programs, and the creation of any new such programs. The current foreign worker programs contain many of the shortcomings of the notorious "bracero" program, which began in 1943 as a wartime emergency program, but continued amid great controversy until 1964. Guestworkers, historically and legally, are not afforded the same workplace protections as domestic workers, and, as non-immigrants, are denied the democratic rights and economic bargaining power of domestic workers. Their vulnerability leads to employer abuse, government neglect, and inevitable exploitation. Rather than expanded, the current guestworker programs should be reformed to provide for essential labor market and workplace protections for both domestic and non-immigrant workers, as well as a path for adjustment of status and citizenship. We are aware that the road to immigration reform is complicated by economic, social, and political considerations. We also know that in order to succeed, consideration must be given to many perspectives. It is our collective view, however, that if we do not provide for undocumented workers within our borders to adjust their status, we will have failed within our own communities. Similarly, heeding calls for new guestworker programs will simply add another shameful chapter, like the bracero program, to our nation's history. Thank you for your consideration of these views.
Farmworker Justice Fund (FJF) |
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