Organized Labor

Sacramento marcher's sign makes his point "We are not Criminals." May 1st, 2006

Press reports indicate that more than 1.5 million immigrants and their supporters marched in major cities around the country on May 1st. In Chicago more than 400,000 took to the streets. In Denver, not known for it’s social protests, the crowds were estimated at 75,000. The demonstrations were the largest in California since the civil rights marches of the 1960’s, with 400,000 people turning out in Los Angeles alone. It is hoped that the social protests will bring more Hispanics into the political arena, and increase voter registration in the upcoming November elections.

There are currently twelve million illegal immigrants in the U.S out of a total population of 299 million. A recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center revealed that 84% of unauthorized immigrants were from Mexico and other countries in Latin America. California, with 2.4 million illegals accounted for roughly one quarter of the U.S. total.

The same study by the Pew Center found that immigrants arriving since the year 2000 make up 12 percent of all workers in construction. The issues for union construction workers have been the exploitation of illegals by underground ontractors and the downward pressure on wages for organized workers.

Illegal immigrants are often hired because they cannot afford to complain if they are paid less than the prevailing wage, are forced to work for long hours, or told to work in a dangerous and unhealthy workplace. For the unscrupulous contractor recent immigrants provide a cheaper alternative for low skill workers. If the worker should report wages and hours violations he often becomes subject to scrutiny by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and may face deportation. On the other hand, many of our unions have reached out to help the undocumented by inviting them into our apprenticeship programs. New immigrants make up an increasing proportion of our membership in the San Francisco Bay area particularly among the Laborers, Lathers & Drywall workers, Roofers and Painters.

The Chronicle reported on a recent case of an undocumented worker in San Francisco who had been paid less than the City minimum wage. (SF Chron. May 11, 2006) The worker, Sonia Cano had filed a complaint with the City and County of San Francisco. She and 13 other employees were ultimately paid $22,000 in back wages. Shortly after filing the complaint however, she was fired. Several months later in December of last year immigration agents appeared on her doorstep and arrested her husband, Carlos Barrancos. Both she and her husband and their newborn child now face deportation.

Different social groups interpret the economic impacts of immigrants in different ways. Business owners see the illegals as a way to reduce labor costs and improve productivity. Unions see the undocumented both as competitors and as a potential source for new members particularly in the service occupations, including hotels, health care services, restaurants, agriculture and manufacturing. Finally consumers and homeowners see them as a way to reduce expenses and increase their standard of living. Clearly, we must all learn to see immigrants as potential new citizens and as people who deserve equal treatment and equal rights.

A recent Los Angeles Times poll of California residents found that most Americans favored the proposals in the current Senate Bill that would provide a pathway for citizenship for those already here. The bill would also establish an annual guest worker program, and would provide for more effective control of the border for reasons of national security.

Congressional Debate Heats Up

Debate on the Kennedy/McCain immigration bill in the Senate gathered momentum this last week. On Monday May 16th, President Bush had addressed the issue of security along the 1,200-mile border with Mexico. He mentioned that the border patrol had already been increased from 9,000 to 12,000 agents since the year 2000 and proposed to add another 6,000 agents by 2008. In the interim he suggested using the National Guard until new agents could be trained and employed. To improve border security he suggested using ‘high tech fences in urban corridors’ and ‘new patrol roads and barricades in rural areas. He also said, “We will employ motion sensors, infrared cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles.” His comments were directed at the conservative house members whose focus has been on securing the borders.

The President’s comments are conciliatory and reflect his personal experience growing up in a border state and serving as the Governor of Texas. In his Monday night address he noted, “We’re a nation of laws and we must enforce our laws. We’re also a nation of immigrants and we must uphold that tradition.” To his credit Bush never suggested cutting off government services to illegal immigrants such as access to public schools for their children or emergency health care, as was the case with California governor Pete Wilson, who pushed Proposition 187 back in 1994.

The President’s views were in general agreement with the Senate bill. He supported a guest worker program and stronger sanctions against employers. He talked about a new tamper proof ID card. He also supported a path to citizenship for immigrant workers who have been working in the U.S. and who have a home and family. He said that if immigrants wanted to become U.S. citizens they needed to learn English, remain employed, pay their taxes and wait in line. Generally speaking, Bush was in accord with the Senate bill.

Tuesday’s discussion in the Senate focused on the guest worker program. A proposal by Barbara Boxer and Jeff Sessions, to eliminate guest workers was defeated by a vote of 69 to 28. Senator Boxer sounded a lot like a union leader as she argued the case against guest workers as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, 5/17/06. “There are 3.6 million workers in construction with an average wage of $18.21. I meet with my working people in California. They’re fighting hard for these jobs…and the last thing they want is a guest worker program that is going to provide a big pool of workers who will get far less than this amount, and take jobs away from my people.”

While Boxer’s amendment failed, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Jeff Bingaman were able to pass a related amendment to reduce the number of low-skill guest worker visas from 325,000 to 200,000 per year. In addition to the low- skill guest worker visas, the bill contains provisions for a separate program for 1.5 million farm workers, and also for an increase in H1B visas for high skilled workers. The Senate bill would expand the importation of H1B workers many of whom work in Silicone Valley. The annual quota would increase from 65,000 to 115,000 per year with possible additional increases of 20% per year. (Article by Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau.)

The stumbling block in getting an immigration reform bill through Congress will be the conservatives who support the ‘Border Security, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act’ by Republican James Sensenbrenner in the House.

The title of the bill says it all. This bill would make criminals of most of the undocumented and would probably drive them underground if efforts were made to deport millions of people. The social upheaval would be enormous. The Sensenbrenner bill would also create a Berlin Wall along our southern border and alienate our friends in Mexico and much of Central America.

Most of us would agree that our borders need to be secure and that the flow of illegal immigrants must be stopped. For those of us in the building trades the issue of the undocumented will continue to be, How do we organize them and train them for jobs in our crafts?