Labor Relations in Terms of Immigrants - Essay Example

Kyoung H Kim UMS 00476398 MGT 402 What is the issue? New immigration law has been the issue of great debate among the U.S. congress recently. The American public has also shown strong emotions over this issue, pro and con. The proposed new immigration law has three main points: “securing the U.S. borders, strengthening enforcement of immigration laws in Americas interior, and creating a new temporary worker program that would not provide amnesty” (“Comprehensive Immigration Reform”). These proposed law means it would be harder for illegal immigrants to cross in the U.S. to become workers, enforcement of immigration laws would mean more deportations and make being an illegal immigrant a felony, and just because an illegal immigrant has a temporary worker pass does not mean that the worker will become an American citizen. The question is how would new immigration law effect labor relations in the U.S.? Some labor unions oppose the passing of these new immigration laws. The most prominent is the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations). The AFL-CIO is not opposed to new immigration laws, but wants only for responsible immigration laws to pass. The AFL-CIO states that any responsible immigration laws must contain the following elements: 1. Uniform enforcement of workplace standards must be a priority. 2. Reforms must provide a path to permanent residency for the currently undocumented workers who have paid taxes and made positive contributions to their communities. 3. We must reverse the trend of allowing employers to turn permanent, full-time year-round jobs into temporary jobs through attempts to broaden the size and scope of guestworker programs. 4. Long-Term Labor Shortages Should be Filled With Workers with Full Rights. 5. Reform of immigration laws must consider the root causes of migration, and must take into account the global economic policies, as well as U.S. foreign policy that are pushing workers to migrate. (“Responsible Reform”) The ACL-CIO is interested more in all workers in the U.S., not just the workers who hold American citizenship. A prominent organization that wants the current immigration law proposal to pass is SEIU (Service Employee International Union), one union under the umbrella organization Change to Win. Change to Win not only includes SEIU, but also Laborers, Teamsters, UNITE HERE, Carpenters, United Food and Commercial Workers, and United Farm Workers. Establish an Earned Path to Citizenship for Hardworking Taxpaying Immigrants. The following list show why the SEIU is for the proposed immigration reform: 1. Create Smart and Secure Borders. 2. Set Immigration Limits that Adjust with Our Needs 3. Penalize Employers Who Exploit Undocumented Workers. 4. Reunite Families. (“Immigration Reform”) The SEIU seems to be more concerned with legalizing illegal immigrant workers than with the illegal immigrant workers welfare while having illgegal status. 2. Why is it important? Immigration reform is important to American workers, illegal workers working in America, and the industries employing them all. It is estimate that 5.8 million illegal workers were in the U.S. as of March 2005 (Camarota). Advocates of harsher immigration reform argue that if the millions of illegal immigrants are deported, more Americans would be employed, especially in jobs which require less education requirements. This is not exactly true. Illegal immigrant workers work along side Americans equally in lower paid jobs (Camarota). 84% of illegal immigrants do not have higher education; many do not have high school diplomas. These workers work along side U.S. citizens without higher education and no high school diplomas. The facts are that American citizens work, live, buy, and sell with illegal immigrant workers daily. Reducing the number of illegal immigrants would impact American workers. Immigration reform would impact the illegal workers both negatively and positively. Some of the illegal immigration workers have illegal papers, others work without papers. The difference between the two is the workers with illegal papers pay taxes and receive benefits (if the employer is not aware of the illegal status) and the workers without papers are at the mercy of the employers. Either way if the employer knows the worker is illegal, the worker is left open to blackmail. The labor laws protecting legal workers do not protect the illegal workers. Under the new proposal by legalizing more immigrants, those who become legal, are protected by U.S. labor laws. Of course, the illegal workers deported would be affected negatively. Either way every illegal immigrant would undergo life changing events beyond their control. The current immigration reform proposal would not only affect the 5.8 million illegal immigrant workers, but their employers as well. Illegal immigrants receive a fraction of the pay the American citizens are given. If 5.8 million workers vanish from the American labor force, the economic strain on employers around the country could be devastating. Losing the labor would cost American business money because production in all effected industries would drastically decrease. Decreased production in such industries as farm workers could raise vegetable and fruit prices, or cause a shortage of fresh vegetables and fruits. While vegetables and fruit are rotting in the field, on the vine, or on a tree, Americans could be fighting in the grocery stores over the limited supply. Farm owners would lose money and possibly their farms. Employers could be driven out of business if their workforce is deported. 3. What are the controversy/complexities/ interesting issues at stake? Both sides for and against the new proposed immigration reform feel that there is different aspects of this issue that are controversial, complex, and interesting. The AFL-CIO wants immigration reform that protects every worker, not just the worker that happens to be an American citizen. Responsible immigration reform in the AFL-CIO’s opinion will be fair to all. This includes citizenship status for workers that have proved that they are productive, not immigrating to live on the welfare system. The AFL-CIO wants immigration reform that does not create obstacles for illegal workers to become citizens, but creates a path for hard working immigrants to be rewarded for their hard work with citizenship. Another issue the concerns the AFL-CIO is employers abusing illegal workers. If employers are mistreating their employees they will be held accountable under responsible immigration reform laws. The proposed immigration reform does not encourage illegal immigrants to come forward to become legal citizens, thus employers can mistreat illegal immigrants because of their illegal status. Illegal immigrants are forced to accept less pay, no benefits, and dangerous work conditions. If different immigration laws were in place, unscrupulous employers could not hold an immigrants status against them. The employers would have to treat all employees fairly. The AFL-CIO wants all workers, no matter of their status, to be treated equally. If harsher penalties were dealt to the employer of an illegal immigrant than the employee, more employers would treat illegal immigrants differently. Recent news accounts show that corporations, like IFCO Systems North America Inc., are finally having executives arrested rather than fined for employing illegal immigrants (Borden). The sad reality is for every employer arrested thousands more exist. Some employers want to give illegal immigrants a job out of sympathy or the goodness of their hearts, but most want cheap labor, knowing that the money they save on labor will pay any fine the government hands out. However, the illegal immigrants that are caught lose their whole life when deported. The last illegal worker reform that AFL-CIO wants passed into law is the consideration of why the worker wants to immigrate. The questions that need to be answered are the following, why does the worker want to become a U.S. citizen, what is the economy in the immigrant’s native land, and is the worker fleeing his native land because of an oppressive economy? If the government understands the reason why illegal workers come to this country, maybe a solution can be found to help other countries with economic development, or to offer a greater amount of work visas. All of the AFL-CIO’s concerns involve the entire work force in America. This union believes that every worker deserves safe working conditions, fair pay, and benefits. By working towards new immigration laws that the AFL-CIO consider responsible the whole work force would benefit not just the immigrants. American workers could expect higher standards, because employers would be held to higher standards. The AFL-CIO is working towards a better environment to work in. The SEIU asserts the new proposed immigration reform will help the members of their union. The SEIU feels immigrants that are hardworking and taxpaying should be able to earn citizenship. Since only legal immigrants and ones with false idenities pay taxes, that leaves a large amount of illegal immigrants being deported. That reasoning would create a bigger idenity theft/ false documention amoung the illegal immigrants. In effect, the illegal immigrants could attain a better status for lying to employers and the government just because they paid taxes. That seems like government extortion. Another positive point of view towards the new proposed immigration reform that the SEIU is the setting of immigration limits that adjust with America’s needs. This aspect would allow the government to raise immigration numbers to accommodate the business needs of American industries that use illegal immigrants, making it easier to earn citizenship. The SEIU’s also wants securer borders preventing illegal immigrants’ access to life in America. It could be argued that SEIU’s concern is like many American citizens after 9/11. Along with well meaning illegal immigrants, terrorists and criminals infiltrate American borders (Malkin). Many of the 9/11 terrorists remained in America on expired student visas. If stricter immigration laws had existed maybe 9/11 would not have happened. The SEIU agrees with the ACL-CIO on the issue of stopping employer abuse. The raid that captured over 1,400 immigrants and resulted in the arrest of corporation executives who knew about the illegal workers recently was based on the proposed immigration law (Borden). The strengthening of the punishments for employers abusing illegal workers covered by the proposed immigration reform can be agreed on by both union organizations. The SEIU encourages legal means of gaining citizenship. Although the new proposed immigration reform is harsher, the SEIU wants the workers in the American work force to be legally incorporated into American society. They feel the legal immigrants would be unfairly treated, if by breaking the law illegal immigrants achieved citizenship without the hardships of becoming a citizen legally. 4. How does it relate to this class, specifically? Illegal immigration workers are part of the American labor force. These undocumented workers have an impact on the economy, just like their American counterparts who hold citizenship. The impact of illegal immigrant workers on the American economy is both positive and negative (Davidson). The positive effects of illegal immigrant workers are lower prices for consumers in a variety of industries. Illegal immigrant workers pay some tax, whether documented or not. Sales and property tax are an example of some taxes illegal immigrant workers pay, not to mention tax and tags for cars, boats, and other motor vehicles. Yet, the undocumented worker does not receive social security in their old age. The fact is that the American economy is made up of 5.8 million illegal workers, without responsible change the results could be devastating. The downside of illegal workers is lower wages for all uneducated workers, immigrant and American citizens. No income tax for the undocumented, yet these illegal immigrants are allowed to use public schools, libraries, the post office, and other public services that are tax funded. The negative influence on the labor force as whole, illegal and legal is the most devastating. Illegal workers are scared of legal workers turning them in to be fired and maybe even deported. Legal workers are scared of lower wages and the fear of losing their jobs to an illegal worker who will work for less money and benefits. This creates a tense situation for U.S. labor relations. If labor relations break down, not only the economy is at stake, but American society as a whole. 5 Conclusion. In conclusion, both unions, the AFL-CIO and the SEIU have the same goals, even if they are on opposing sides of the proposed immigration reform; safe working conditions, fair pay, and decent benefits. These working conditions benefit everyone employed in the U.S., not only citizens. Every American citizen, except Native American Indians, is a descent of immigrants, even Mayflower descents. Immigrants and descents of immigrants built the American work force. When passing, advocating, and debating immigration reform, all Americans need to keep their roots in mind. Immigration reform is needed. Both sides of the argument agree on that fact. The problem is deciding which immigration laws should be passed. The problem of immigration reform has long been ignored, because the truth is America needs illegal workers. If America did not need workers, illegal immigrants would not be able to find jobs. The immigration reform needs to deal with the estimated 5.8 illegal workers. These workers contribute, making the American society work. A call for a study to comprehend the effects on the American economy if the 5.8 illegal workers disappeared, or were deported needs to be undertaken before any immigration reform can be made responsibly. Without this study, any immigration reform passed could cause irreparable harm to American economy. Works Cited Borden, Teresa. “44 arrested in immigration raid at DeKalb business.” The Atlanta Journal- Constitution. 24 Apr. 06. AJC. 8 May 2006 http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/dekalb/stories/0420raid.html Camarota, Stephen A. “Dropping Out: Immigrant Entry and Native Ex From the Labor Market, 2000-2005.” Center for Immigration Studies. March 2006. CIS. 8 May 2006 http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/back206.html “Comprehensive Immigration Reform.” Immigration. 2006. The White House. 8 May 2006 http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/ Davidson, Adam. “Q&A: Illegal Immigrants and the U.S. Economy.” NPR. 30 Mar. 2006. PBS. 8 May 2006 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5312900 “Immigration Reform.” SEIU.org. 2006. SEIU. 8 May 2006 http://www.seiu.org/issues/issue_immigration.cfm Malkin, Michelle. Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists Criminals and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores. United States: Regnery, 2002. “Responsible Reform of Immigration Laws Must Protect Working Conditions for all Workers in the U.S.” Executive Council. 2006. AFL-CIO. 8 May 2006 http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/ecouncil/ec02272006e.cfm Read More