STATEMENT FROM THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION (UFCW)
The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride
Delivered by UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Joe Hansen
On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union the UFCW I bring you greetings in solidarity.
Worker-to-worker men and women native born and immigrant African American, Latino, European American, and Asian American the UFCW is committed to building a movement that starts with the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride a movement that will not stop until justice prevails for every worker and in every workplace.
Our movement is a movement to defend the values that have defined America that hard work should bring opportunity, respect and security that those who do the work have earned the right to a living wage, dignity in the workplace and equal protection under the law that we as a nation draw our strength from our diversity.
It is a movement rooted in American traditions from generations of immigrants who struggled and sweated to build the American dream to the civil rights movement that confronted the violence and brutality of racism with hope and faith in the promise of America.
There is a new generation of immigrants who are making a contribution to their new communities, who are doing the work of America often the most difficult, most dangerous and the lowest paid work.
The UFCW is the largest union of food workers in the country. Immigrant workers are now the majority of workers in much of the meat and food processing industry.
They put food on the table for America's families.
If all immigrant workers were to suddenly disappear our cupboards would go bare shelves at the grocery store would go unstocked and the supermarket meat case would be empty.
America eats because immigrants work.
We are calling on America to recognize the contribution of some of its most valuable workers.
Reward work provide a process for workers to obtain legal status.
Reward work protect the workplace rights of all workers regardless of immigration status.
Reward work respect the human and civil rights of every worker.
We are bringing a message of hope to immigrant workers. Your sacrifice will not be ignored. Your contributions will not be overlooked. Your lives and your suffering will not be dismissed.
The UFCW is actively organizing immigrant workers a union contract is the best protection against abuse in the workplace and, the best guarantee of an opportunity for a better life.
We are making the connection to the community and to the church we are building a support network that can empower workers to change their lives, improve their workplaces, and give their families a brighter future.
No community can prosper if workers are exploited, undervalued and underpaid. Wages should be high enough to support families. Jobs should be secure enough for workers to buy homes and establish community ties. Work should be safe enough so that workers are not maimed or killed and families lose the ability to support themselves.
All workers have an interest in what happens to immigrant workers because if employers can exploit one group of workers, they will have the ability to lower standards for all workers.
We are all in this together.
We must all act together.
When the buses end their trip in New York the work begins- to re-ignite the flame on the Statue of Liberty to light the way to human rights for this generation of immigrants.
Organize! Mobilize! Make it Happen!
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