Liveblogging the April 14 2009 SEIU/A.F.L.C.I.O conference call :
They say they'll post a copy of the Immigration Reform approach they are taking, on their site
Includes:
-indpent commisssion of flow of workers based on labor market shortages that are based on actual and real needs
-call for verification system that protects workers and is effective mech for insuring workers are authorized to work
-proposal addresses rational operational control of the border
-imprtnt element: adjustment of status of undoc 11 mil undoc workers
- improvement and no expansions of temporary worker programs
Pres Hansen is pleased to be part of this important effort, we look fwd to working with our partners, building strong coalitions that will take us across the finish line
"Proud and pleased" to be part of this unified labor movement to support CIR ... We have a new President who is focused on tackling hard issues...status quo not acceptable
Finally a principled public policy dialogue...we will do justice to our history as a nation of immigrants
No two tiered society
Equal Rights
Come out of the shadows
Re unify families, childrens, spouses, across borders
UFW Pres Arturo Rodriguez:
express thanks to John Sweeney of AFLCO , many others for hard work over lats few weeks to bring about this unified movement.
70% of the labor force in our country is farmworkers, a large part of that is undocumented, look fwd to working with everyone, religiuos comm, employer groups, labor groups
we will do whatever it takes to encoruage our legislatyors and people of the US to support this deciison
as we look at history of the labor movement, it was the immigrants and african americans who built that labor movement and we think this will be the same coalition today
DPE
reps white collar workers
putting in place a real mechanism to evaluate what needs of US workforce is and will address those concerns
a part of the framework has to be taken into account with what is going on today:
5.5 mil workers unemployed
soon to be graduating, 3 million potential workers looking for work
we need this comprehensive program to evaluate what the needs are and meet those
not just lowering wages and putting in programs that dont serve the greater purpose of the US workforce
Director of AFLCIO
on behalf of Pres Sweeney, echo sentiments earlier about the importance of unity on this issue
we found in the past division hasnt helped any of us
division in the past has only fueled anti immigrant hatred and
helped businesses take advantage of workers
but today is abrand new day
obama is a commmunity organizer
understands working people
working with us not like last pres who was working against us
on promoting a framework for imm reform
Questions from listeners segment
Guest Worker situation opens up many to abuse. "Full labor rights needed for people, a way to enforce those rights. If we don't insure they do, we repeat mistakes of the past, which is essentially indentured servitude."
Q: How will have a unified labor front attract Republicans who are needed to pass this?
A: What we are looking at, not just looking at Dem or REpub framing. How do we pass CIR? So to do that we need 279 votes. 218 in House of Reps, 60 in Senate, and one president. We are going to be having comversations with each and every member of Congress of both houses, as well as Independents about why we think this makes sense for US, why now, why we need to take advantage of this opportunity. We are taking nobody for granted, we will work as we have to with our allies in the community and the churches and civil rights community in general people who care about this issue and I think when we do that we will find enough votes to get this done.
A: (Esther Lopez) We are committed to working to insure we get to that 279. Not a party matter.
A: Arturo R.: Civil Rights issues that has to be worked with. All of us reaching out with employers to make sure they are pulling in legislators regardless of party affiliation, but to really do something for US's labor force.
A: AFLCIO: Regarding parties, we need a new lens. It's not so much howt o convince GOP, but how GOP will convince the US that with today's economy they can justify a framework that brings in hundreds of thousands of indentured workers to our economy each year. The burden is on them to show how it makes sense.
Q:IS there any concern that redoing the guest worker program will cause GOP to pull support?
A: The approach we are taking is one based on meeting actual. labor. market. shortages. The diff in our apprch vs GOP is that workers will come with full rights in our approach.
A: We are looking fwd to having these conversations with Congress. We know its not an easy issue, if it were it would be fixed by now. Now is the time and i think those conversations will get us there.
Q: Will there be a more detailed plan than what came out today?
A: What we have agreed to are the essential components of CIR. As we move along, the details will become part of the bill. We want to fix the problem without repeating this over and over and over again down the line.
Q: A Battle to win over GOP. Are you going to talk to GOP each member?
A: We are not writing anyone off. We will talk to everyone and have this conversation.
[Nez: Reporters love focusing on GOP, why does GOP they get centered in everything? ]
So finally I got my question in at the end, the Sanctuary's question, that is. Basically went like this:
"And here's Neh-ZOO-uh, from Pomegranate Dot Org:
"Hi, I'm Nezua from Promigrant.org. First I want to thank you all, I think it's great that you are getting together on this and we are hearing the workers' rights centered, the undocumented being centered instead of the fearful GOP reaction, like some of the earlier questions were attempting to do. I hear you talk about human rights and ending the two tiered system, unifying families and such. And I'm hearing that you are all very unified on this 'comprehensive' approach. But what I want to know is does this 'comprehensive' approach include detainees, victims of raids and such? Considering that the Human Rights Watch report came out and revealed so many abuses in the detention system, and we know that there are two tiers of medical treatment and two tiers of legal prosecution as they are shoved through criminal proceedings for civil violations? Or is this Comprehensive Approach a rewrapping on the McCain-Kennedy fiasco for President Obama? Thank you."
The answers touched on Human Rights and how the specifics would be worked out, and in some places felt encouraging, with talk about "a rights-based approach not based on past compromises." I wasn't even sure I'd get that much. And I wasn't just trying to be contrary at a positive juncture. They sound earnest when they talk about how we have to end the injustices and do it right so it's not a big mess in another few years. But if we don't tend to all these questions and especially the dirty compact unspoken about propping up the new detention industry at the cost of these same "undocumented," then that's exactly what we'll do.
Gracias, también, for the support and collusion w/my homies at The Sanctuary. I run with one badass joyfilled crew.
In any case, here's to forward motion on the issue. As I first wrote in this post, it's encouraging and exciting news. I'm sure specifics will filter out in time and we'll argue them and do our best to bring about the fairest reform we can. it won't be an easy fight, but it's a worthy one. |
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