Answering Tough Questions AFSCME Convention July 15 2014 Presenters Fran Bernstein FGA Sookyung Oh RCBS fbernsteinafscmeorg sohafscmeorg Where Are Your Ancestors From Agenda Parallels with the Past Immigrants and the Labor Movement ID: 231972
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Immigration Reform
Answering Tough Questions
AFSCME Convention
July 15, 2014
Presenters:
Fran Bernstein, FGA Sookyung Oh, RCBS
fbernstein@afscme.org
soh@afscme.orgSlide2
Where Are Your Ancestors From?Slide3Agenda
Parallels with the Past: Immigrants and the Labor MovementImmigrants’ Impact on ElectionsPublic’s Views on Immigration ReformImmigration Reform: Answers to Tough Questions
Latest from Congress, Obama Administration and StatesResourcesTake Action!Slide4Parallels with the PastSlide5Immigrant Population: Then and NowSlide6Immigrants: Work & Labor
Chinese railroad workers
German immigrant newspaper in Chicago
Protest signs in English, Yiddish, and ItalianSlide7Where Immigrants LiveSlide8The Question of RaceSlide9Learning EnglishSlide10Growing Political VoiceSlide112012 elections
75% of Latinos, 73% of Asian Americans, and 90% of African Americans voted for ObamaSlide12Slide13
Recent polls show that a large majority of Americans support immigration reform that would give legal status to undocumented immigrants. This poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, shows that 73 percent of those surveyed felt that undocumented immigrants should be given some path to legal status.
Undocumented immigrants should have some way to stay in the U.S. legally
73%
Should have a path to citizenship
Should have a path to permanent residency only
Don’t know which path 4%
S
hould not be allowed to stay legally
Don’t know 4%
Source: Pew Research Center, via National Journal
Large Majority Support for CitizenshipSlide14Support on both sides of the aisleSlide15Slide16Why do immigrants come here illegally?
No common-sense immigration process existsEconomic push and pull
Violence in home countryFamily reunificationSlide17Often no line to get into
If you are lucky enough to be able to get in line – the process takes decades.
© 2011
Jesse Springer springercreative.comShouldn’t undocumented immigrants get in line like everyone else?Slide18Don’t immigrants take American jobs?
Economy relies on immigrant labor Immigration reform will create hundreds of thousands of new jobsSlide19Fact:
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship would generate an additional $1.5 trillion to the economy over 10 years. Slide20Don’t undocumented immigrants drive down wages?
They are underpaid because of their undocumented status
Solution is to provide legal status with full rights and protections on the jobImmigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship can raise wages for immigrant workers by 6%.Slide21How is immigration reform a workers’ rights issue?
Workers living in the shadows frequently experience threats of deportation or violence, unsafe conditions and wage theft.
Employers have an incentive to hire out-of-status workers because they can pay them less and fire and/or threaten them with deportation if they try to unionize. Slide22Don’t undocumented immigrants use public services while not paying taxes?
According to the IRS, undocumented immigrants paid almost $50 billion in taxes between 1996 and 2003.Undocumented immigrants paid MORE in taxes than General Electric in 2010,
contributing $11.2 billion in state and local taxes alone.Even so, federal law has closed almost all options for government assistance for
out-of-status immigrants. Slide23On the Right Side of History
“All labor has dignity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Slide24Grassroots Partners
AFL-CIO and other laborFaith communityImmigrant advocacy organizationsBusiness groups
Civil rights organizationsSlide25President Obama’s Actions
Prosecutorial discretionDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)Slide26Lots of action in the states
In-State Tuition – 17 states and 3 university systemsAccess to Driver’s Licenses – 12 statesLawsuits to block anti-immigrant lawsSlide27Congressional Inaction
Senate passed a bipartisan bill June 27, 2013House leadership has blocked any floor votesEven
DREAMers left with nothingSlide28What Will Obama Do?
Looking to executive action by President ObamaDHS will issue new, more “humane” deportation policies in AugustImperfect solutionSlide29How does immigration reform strengthen AFSCME’s Four Pillars?
Undocumented immigrants will not fear joining the union whether a current fee payer or in a newly-organized workplace
A path to citizenship will grow pro-working families electorateWe’re building important allies through this fightSlide30Immigration Resources: Labor
Online Resourceshttp://www.afscme.org/issues/immigrationwww.afscme.org/en-espanol
www.aflcio.org/immigration www.aflcio.org/ImmigrationUniversity www.workingfamiliestoolkit.com Slide31Immigration Resources: Allies
Alliance for Citizenship – www.allianceforcitizenship.org
Asian American Justice Center – www.advancingequality.org
Immigration Policy Center – www.immigrationpolicy.org National Council of La
Raza – www.nclr.org National Employment Law Project (NELP) – www.nelp.org
National
Immigration
Forum
–
www.immigrationforum.org
National
Immigration Law Center (NILC
)
–
www.nilc.org
United We
Dream –
www.unitedwedream.org
Slide32Take Action Today!