Last post for tonight (I think)
It seems that the last proposal contradicts all the others, the unions say they want rights for undocumented workers but then say we need tougher laws to prevent undocumented workers??? - KRD
Unions Lobby for Mexican Legalization The Associated Press, Fri 10 Aug 2001
WASHINGTON (AP) — Organized labor is pressing for legalization of millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States, criticizing a temporary work program the Bush administration is considering.
``It's a nonstarter and we have said as much to the United States Congress and the Mexican government,'' said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. ``Our first and second priority is making sure everyone here now is legalized.''
Union leaders' comments came as Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft spent two hours Thursday talking with Mexican officials on issues including immigration. The event was partly aimed at laying the groundwork for next month's meeting between President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox, when a plan could be announced.
``We want to make sure that we have a humane approach to the solution of the migration challenge,'' Powell told reporters at the State Department.
Whatever reforms are instituted, Powell said, must respect ``the enormously valuable role that Mexican immigrants continue to play in helping us in building our nation.''
At the same time, he said the administration wants to ensure that the reforms do not disadvantage American workers.
Bush is weighing task force recommendations to grant guest-worker status and eventually legal residency to some of the 3 million Mexicans in this country illegally. Bush has said he also would consider extending the proposal to people from other countries. About 7 million illegal aliens live in the United States.
The political attention stems from new Census figures showing that the Hispanic population grew 58 percent during the 1990s to 35 million. Hispanics now rival non-Hispanic blacks as the nation's largest minority group.
Bush, who drew 35 percent of the Hispanic vote in November, sees potential new voters in such a decision, while organized labor sees a solution to declining membership rolls.
Organized labor is talking with business organizations, immigrants rights groups and the Catholic church to lobby for changes to the immigration law.
Some leaders of the unions and immigration groups are traveling to Central America next week to meet with government officials in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador on the issue. Union officials already have met with Mexican officials, including Fox.
The unions also are talking with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, associations representing the hotel and restaurant industries and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to find ways to work together on immigration.
``We've opened up discussions to see where we can find common ground,'' said Theresa Brown, the chamber's director of labor and immigration policy.
The union coalition, which also includes the Laborers International Union and United Farm Workers, is organizing events in 26 cities later this month to build grass-roots support. They are also planning sermons on immigration issues at Catholic and Protestant churches across the country on the Sunday before Labor Day.
The AFL-CIO, eager to reverse declining union membership, last year abandoned its stance that immigrants were a threat to American jobs and started reaching out to them.
``We're here. We're not taking away jobs,'' said Yanira Merino, who emigrated from El Salvador and now is a Laborers' union organizer. ``We're doing what a lot of people don't want to do.''
The labor federation renewed its commitment last week at an executive council meeting in Chicago, issuing principles to guide national immigration policy debate:
—Undocumented workers and their families should be granted permanent legal status.
—Immigrant workers should have full workplace rights, including the right to organize a union and whistle-blower protections.
—Guest-worker programs should not be expanded because they tend to depress wages for all workers.
—New immigration laws and stepped-up enforcement are needed to punish employers that hire undocumented workers. (AP)
===== Kevin Dean Buffalo, NY ICQ: 8616001 http://www.yaysoft.com
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