Blaming immigrant workers for our economic catastrophe is like blaming shrimpers for the BP oil spil

[depakid]

Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO:

Who Are You Calling Names?

Wop." "Hunkie." "Polack." "Kike."

When I was a kid growing up in Nemacolin, Pa., those are some of the slurs people used for us.

Why? Because our parents or grandparents came to this country from somewhere else, fleeing poverty and war, seeking opportunity and hope. As a kid, every person I knew who was older than 50 spoke broken English. Those names hurt. But they also determined almost everything about us -- where we would live, where we would worship, where we would go to school, where we could work.

It wasn't easy. We were the last hired and first fired, the people who did the hardest and most dangerous work, the people accused of taking jobs away from others who had been here longer, the people whose pay got shorted because we didn't know the language and were afraid to complain. But from the mines and the mills, the immigrants of my parents' and grandparents' generation built America.

Today, we have a new generation of immigrants. And the names and accusations are just as ugly. I hear it all the time. I even hear it from people close to me. "Those immigrants are taking our jobs. They can't speak English. They're taking over the country."

I couldn't disagree more, but I know where they're coming from -- an American economy in tatters, rampant unemployment, foreclosures, disappearance of health and retirement benefits. They're anxious and angry. I'm angry, too.

There's justifiable anger at seeing our economy, our way of life, our security trashed. And it's being used by people who have a real stake in maintaining our economic disaster to turn working people against one another.

Many working men and women -- including union members -- were pretty confused that I would be speaking out on behalf of today's immigrant workers, as I did last week at the http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/prsptm/sp06182010.cfm">Cleveland City Club. But I can honestly say to them: An immigrant worker did not move your plant overseas. An immigrant did not take away your pension. A Mexican or Salvadoran or Guatemalan worker did not cut off your health care. His wife didn't foreclose your home. Her children did not crash our financial system.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-trumka/who-are-you-calling-names_b_619991.html

Something for folks to think about...

[SocialistLez]

1. K&R!! NT

[caledesi]

2. WOP = Italian - Without Passport - origin. nt

[depakid]

3. The unrecs are impressive- people must either not like labor- or Mexicans

or maybe both.

From the earlier referenced speech:

Today, as in any economic crisis, there are people who offer hatred and divisiveness as the solution to the crisis. If our political leaders do not lead, if they do not offer help in the present and a clear strategy for prosperity in the future—starting with good jobs—those voices of hate will grow, they will become more powerful, and they will feed on the public's anger and pain and desperation.

President Obama has laid out in broad terms the approach we need to take. He has spoken out for creating good jobs, rebuilding manufacturing, taking on the challenge of climate change and energy independence, growing exports and investing in our infrastructure, including our education infrastructure.

If we are truly going to build a world class workforce, we need to restore workers' fundamental human right to organize and bargain with their employers. And we need to make sure every worker in America – documented or undocumented – is protected by our labor laws. That is why it is so urgent that we reform our immigration system.

The President's strategy also requires that we invest in rebuilding our country. Consider this fact—as a result of the economic recovery act, we are now in the process of planning approximately 500 miles of high-speed rail, including lines here in Ohio. Sounds good, until you realize that China, a country about the same size as the United States, is in the process of constructing 5,000 miles of high-speed rail.

Restoring workers' rights and building workers' skills. Creating the infrastructure of the 21st century. Thinking strategically when it comes to trade policy. These are the strategies for making the American Dream as real for our children as it was for my parents.

But that will not be enough. We as a nation must be true to our better selves—employers must not make a buck on the backs of workers who live in fear of deportation, and workers must stand together in the workplace for good jobs, safe jobs, health care for all, and retirement security we can count on. And so when we talk about making the American Dream real, the labor movement stands for making it real for all of us who do the work of our country. All of us—no matter what we look like, who we choose to love, or where we come from. Surely there we can find common ground.

More: http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/prsptm/sp06182010.cfm

[SocialistLez]

5. +1

Too bad these words will not resonate with many people.

[blondeatlast]

7. Even I recc'ed your post. Trumka speaks the truth and I hope he keeps speaking it. nt

[blondeatlast]

4. Trumka is a hero. k/r

[pinboy3niner]

6. K&R

:kick:

[amborin]

8. K&R

good analogy

[Hydra]

9. He mostly got it right

We need to shut down the system that forced the workers to come here in the first place. NAFTA for starters.

Rule of law is there for a reason, though. My British friend who came here and opened a pizza restaurant played by the rules and was forced to go home when her time ran out.

Legal immigration = good

Working with Oligarchs south of the border to create a slave economy? Bad

[EFerrari]

15. It's good to see you posting again, Hydra.

:)

[Hydra]

16. Ty!

I took a break because I could tell I wasn't changing minds.

The Oil disaster got me curious as to what I was missing. Skinner's new predicament is likely to be an interesting change, whether that means I get a ban or not :p

[leftstreet]

10. K&R

[SunnySong]

11. As long as you are not a laborer or a tradesman Illegal Immigration is the bee's knees.

After all it only effects blue collar union types who waste their money anyway and watch Nascar. It doesn't effect us college educated office types and it makes me feel good that I can help a racial minority from another country by replacing some lazy person from this one. (If they were not lazy they would have a college degree like me no?)

And our workers are lazy... let's get down to brass tacks. the happy illegal doesn't whine about overtime or "safe" working conditions like a certain nationality I could mention... there is no workmans comp or unemployment to pay... if an illegal dies on the site just plant him and get another... and heath care costs... with the new rules coming into place an illegal is worth his weight in gold... not to mention sexual harassment and eeoc is off the table.

Heck you can look progressive and buy that second green house next to the nature preserve with all the monies you will save helping the downtrodden.


Silly tradesman and laborers if $10 an hour was good enough in 1982 well gosh darn it it is good enough today.You should be happy you get any work at all considering your lack of education.



God I hope I don't really need this


:sarcasm:

[Capn Sunshine]

12. who do you think is building that big fence on the border?

Los mexicanos tienen las mejores herramientas

[SunnySong]

13. Here is an idea. All goverment contracts have to go to union labor.

I would love to hear the reasoning against that.

[EFerrari]

14. Sounds like you need something, maybe not a smilie.

Nobody thinks illegal immigration is the bees knees but that doesn't preclude treating those workers with dignity and respect.

[Hydra]

18. Actually, one of my old neighbors does

They needed their walks and roof shoveled due to heavy snow. I needed the money at the time(wasn't out of work but low hours) so I offered to do it at whatever rate they thought was fair.

Nope. They wanted someone more "suitable"(read, exploitable)

Scary thinking, really. They want "non people" to do the work for them.

[SunnySong]

20. Their status precludes them being treated with respect.

They don't receive unemployment or workman's comp or any government protections. When you say i won't let anyone deport illegal immigrants from my city you are saying the homeowners and businesses here are more important than the workers. Trademans salaries have gone down over the years that is a simple truth. People who have worked hard are losing their homes and business are using illegals to break the back of Trade Unions.

I have met far to many people whose household staff is exploited due to their legal status. And I assure you I don't know that many Republicans.


There seems to be a disconnect on this issue. Workers rights and protection need to come first as does a living wage for all.

To be a progressive society we need to eliminate those that can be exploited either by making them all citizens or deporting them. The status quo cannot stand.

[depakid]

21. No one's "status" precludes respect

And as to disconnect- there isn't any among among those of us who can read between the lines:

"eliminate those" "deporting them" "using illegals"

In short- it's easy to see where some are coming from, even if they think they're being "clever."

[kelly1mm]

23. Would you be in favor of harsh penalties ($1,000 per day per worker)

for all employers (yes, even those hiring day laborers like a homeowner uses from the home depot parking lot) found to have employed illegal aliens? That is my solution to the problem. I would open up e-verify to all employers an it would be a defense from the fine if you had done the e-verify and it came back OK to hire the person. (As a side benefit, this would substantially increase compliance with tax withholdings in these types of transactions)

The vast majority of those coming to the US illegally do so because they are desperate for work to be able to provide for their families. As pointed out, that desperation does lead to driving down labor rates. Just look at the construction trades. In my plan we would not need to round up and deport anyone as when the job were no longer available those unable to find work would 'self-deport'. If they did not have the money to return home, I would be in favor of the government providing tickets back to their home country. Problem solved.

The fine is not against the employee - just the employers and the added income/fica taxes withheld are a big bonus.

[704wipes]

17. You can't be oppressed from BELOW

nt

[EFerrari]

19. Well said! n/t

[dkf]

22. Legal Immigrants are fine. It's the illegal immigrants that screw up opportunities for the poor and

Less educated.