On Feb. 21, the New York Times published an editorial entitled “Immigration Reform and Workers’ Rights.” Below is a response by National Guestworker Alliance Executive Director Saket Soni:
Today’s New York Times editorial is an important affirmation of what millions of immigrant workers know, and what the White House has recognized in its own immigration blueprint: strong labor and civil rights protections have to be the cornerstone of any immigration reform.
The New York Times, like the Obama administration, has stood up for the principles of the POWER Act, including protections for whistleblowers and the right of immigrant workers to organize against employer abuse. U.S. workers need these protections as much as immigrants workers do: without them, immigrant workers become a captive workforce, which drives down wages and conditions for all workers.
The National Guestworker Alliance has exposed employer abuse, retaliation, and blacklisting against thousands of immigrant workers in federal guestworker programs. This includes forced labor by guestworkers at Wal-Mart supplier CJ’s Seafood, captive labor by student guestworkers at a Hershey’s Chocolate plant, and ICE’s collusion with an oil services company to retaliate against trafficked guestworkers.
Without the worker protections in the POWER Act, immigration reform risks creating a permanent underclass of millions exploitable workers. Employers will continue to use immigration enforcement as a weapon against workers who organize for their labor and civil rights.
We look forward to ensuring that strong labor protections, the right to organize, and freedom from fear of retaliation are included in any immigration reform.
Background
- New York Times editorial on employer retaliation against workers who exposed forced labor at Wal-Mart supplier CJ’s Seafood
- New York Times editorial on captive labor by student guestworkers at Hershey’s plant
- New York Times editorial on retaliation by ICE in coordination with employer Signal International
Contact: Stephen Boykewich, stephen@guestworkeralliance.
