On Thursday, February 12, 2009, DU’s Strategic Issues Panel on Immigration heard from business and labor representatives.
Blake Pendergrass, an organizer with FRESC (formerly the Front Range Economic Strategy Center) reminded the panel that immigration happens on a global scale, and whereas money is allowed to flow freely across borders, people are not allowed to follow.
The labor and immigrant rights movements have been closely aligned since the 1880s. Unions, he said, must organize the most vulnerable workers to raise standards for all workers.
He advocated rational visa requirements which could be set by the Department of Labor annually to better meet the needs of employers and employees.
He also mentioned that unions generally oppose a guest worker program that limits worker rights and fails to provide immigrants a path to citizenship.
No comments:
Post a Comment