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April 14, 2009 – 6:04 p.m.
Labor Movement Finds New Unity Behind Immigration Proposal
By Karoun Demirjian, CQ Staff
Labor giants AFL-CIO and Change to Win came together Tuesday to promote a jointly drafted proposal for comprehensive immigration legislation, forming an unprecedented unified front that members hope will boost the chances that a bill is considered in Congress this year.
The partnership is a marked shift for the labor movement, which was divided in its approach to immigration laws in years past.
In 2007, when the Senate last tackled an overhaul bill, unions representing the service sector, such as the Service Employees International Union, an affiliate of Change to Win, championed adopting sweeping changes to immigration laws. But the AFL-CIO, representing industrial unions, lobbied against attempts to expand temporary worker programs or legalize the status of the estimated 11-12 million undocumented workers already residing in the country, citing concerns that allowing more workers into the economy would artificially depress wages across the board.
But the proposal unveiled Tuesday is a compromise that appears to take into account not only the concerns of former critics of immigration legislation within the labor movement, but also the changed circumstances in the economy since immigration’s last full-scale public vetting.
Chief among the proposal’s provisions is the formation of an independent commission to manage the future levels of immigration based on economic indicators. Those appointed to such a commission would be charged with assessing the particular, targeted needs of the labor market, and adjusting visa quotas — of both the temporary and permanent variety — to respond to those needs.
Other provisions largely resemble previous attempts at changing immigration laws — such as legalization for the undocumented workers currently in the country, which a Pew Hispanic Center study published Tuesday estimated comprise 5.4 percent of the total labor market; the adoption of a worker verification program; and the institution of a fair and firm border security presence. But the emphasis on creating a flexible, reactive immigration regime — an option that has been promoted recently by immigrant advocates — is a departure from the current system, which is based on static quotas.
“In the past, future flow has been equated with temporary worker programs. What the commission does is unhook that thinking, so that future flows are really based on current market needs,” said Ana Avendano, director of the AFL-CIO’s immigrant worker program.
“We need this comprehensive program to evaluate what the needs are and successfully meet the needs of employers and not just the shortcomings,” said Paul Almeida, president of the Department of Professional Employees at AFL-CIO.
But that’s just where lawmakers may risk the support of business if they adopt labor’s framework as a blueprint for new legislation.
While the business lobby supported comprehensive immigration overhauls in the past, much of that support has hinged on the expansion of temporary guest-worker programs that bring immigrants into the country for a finite number of years, but do not necessarily offer them pathways to seek permanent residency or citizenship — the very population that would be most closely regulated by the new commission.
“We’ve never really trusted the idea of a commission, because they’re never really independent — it’s always subject to political process,” said Randy Johnson, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “There’s no micro-economic data out there that can give you . . . labor shortage data on a detailed basis. In the end, it’ll fall apart. And that’s what the unions want anyway . . . a non-functioning entity.”
Labor unions insist that both the framework and their newfound camaraderie are built on a solid foundation. The proposal is the result of nearly a year’s efforts, led by former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall, who served under President Jimmy Carter, along with input from experts at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. The group is expected to release a more detailed report later in the week.
But how much sway their proposal will have with lawmakers is yet to be determined. There are several old vehicles circulating in Congress, such as the failed overhaul bill from 2007 sponsored by John McCain , R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., and a proposal by Reps. Luis V. Gutierrez , D-Ill., and Jeff Flake , R-Ariz.
And while lawmakers acknowledge there is a need to adopt certain changes going forward, many are also quick to point out that the exploratory path on immigration has been well-trodden.
Neither is there any indication that the proposal will sway Republicans who have maintained a hard and fast line against cooperating on any sort of legislation that promotes “amnesty.”
Labor unions are preparing nonetheless to promote their framework as the way forward.
“We are not just looking at this from the perspective of Democrats or Republicans. We believe that we need 279 votes — 218 in the House, 60 in the Senate, and one president,” said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, a member of Change to Win.
“We are going to be having conversations with each and every member of Congress . . . about why we think this makes sense for America, why it makes sense now and why we need to take advantage of this opportunity. We are not taking anybody for granted,” Medina said.
In the meantime, supporters of immigration overhaul are welcoming the added impetus that AFL-CIO and Change to Win are bringing to the push for legislation.
“Their commitment will help demonstrate that comprehensive reform is the only way to bring workers out of the shadows, elevate wages and ensure safety for all of the hardworking men and women of the U.S. labor force,” Gutierrez said.
Comments
I'm a union member, and I'm disgusted that these unions have sold out American workers yet again. No matter how they try to spin it, these sell-out unions want to permanently give millions of our jobs to illegal foreign workers who cut the line. These hack unions are obviously motivated by more union dues, not the best interests of American workers. We the people will fight this mass amnesty scheme hard!!
"We the people "must remain reasonable and rationale. Let's not allow the immigration reform to be demagogued and hijacked (again) by nativists,zenophobes and the clarion calls of the Limbaughs,the Dobbs, the Steins, the southern demagoues/politicians like Session,Vitter,Demint et al. Enough of the excuses and the equivocations. If the right wing flank of the GOP congress heed the vile anti-CIR calls of their minions again,the GOP will be eternally the party of no and it's political obituary sealed forever. For Mr. Dave who commented earlier about "mass amnesty" --pls. check the meaning of amnesty in the dictionary as opposed to what is proposed i.e. earned legalization with multiple fines and long waiting period. Thank you.
To Ted Salvadore, Check your facts and read history before you regurgitate discredited open-border lobby talking points. We are not fooled by euphemisms for mass amnesty such as "comprehensive immigration reform" and "pathway to citizenship." This is same type of rhetoric that was used for the supposed one-time 1986 IRCA amnesty. After the amnesty was granted, the enforcement soon disappeared. Now the well-funded, greedy pro-amnesty special interests are trying to peddle the same thing again. We will NOT be fooled again. Finally, the vast majority of all Americans reject CIR amnesty, as evidenced by the recent Rasmussen Reports poll that shows 74% of U.S. voters continue to believe the federal government is not doing enough to secure the country's borders, and 63% of voters say gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers in the country. The only groups that want amnesty are the far left left ethnocentric groups, some unions who want more dues, and the cheap labor business interests.
Undocumented immigrants paying more taxes than you think!! http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/ http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/images/File/factcheck//EconomicsofCIRFullDoc.pdf Eight million Undocumented immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare and income taxes. Denying public services to people who pay their taxes is an affront to America's bedrock belief in fairness. But many "pull-up-the-drawbridge" politicians want to do just that when it comes to Undocumented immigrants. The fact that Undocumented immigrants pay taxes at all will come as news to many Americans. A stunning two thirds of Undocumented immigrants pay Medicare, Social Security and personal income taxes. Yet, nativists like Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., have popularized the notion that illegal aliens are a colossal drain on the nation's hospitals, schools and welfare programs -- consuming services that they don't pay for. In reality, the 1996 welfare reform bill disqualified Undocumented immigrants from nearly all means tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization. The only services that illegals can still get are emergency medical care and K-12 education. Nevertheless, Tancredo and his ilk pushed a bill through the House criminalizing all aid to illegal aliens -- even private acts of charity by priests, nurses and social workers. Potentially, any soup kitchen that offers so much as a free lunch to an illegal could face up to five years in prison and seizure of assets. The Senate bill that recently collapsed would have tempered these draconian measures against private aid. But no one -- Democrat or Republican -- seems to oppose the idea of withholding public services. Earlier this year, Congress passed a law that requires everyone who gets Medicaid -- the government-funded health care program for the poor -- to offer proof of U.S. citizenship so we can avoid "theft of these benefits by illegal aliens," as Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., puts it. But, immigrants aren't flocking to the United States to mooch off the government. According to a study by the Urban Institute, the 1996 welfare reform effort dramatically reduced the use of welfare by undocumented immigrant households, exactly as intended. And another vital thing happened in 1996: the Internal Revenue Service began issuing identification numbers to enable illegal immigrants who don't have Social Security numbers to file taxes. One might have imagined that those fearing deportation or confronting the prospect of paying for their safety net through their own meager wages would take a pass on the IRS' scheme. Not so. Close to 8 million of the 12 million or so illegal aliens in the country today file personal income taxes using these numbers, contributing billions to federal coffers. No doubt they hope that this will one day help them acquire legal status -- a plaintive expression of their desire to play by the rules and come out of the shadows. What's more, aliens who are not self-employed have Social Security and Medicare taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks. Since undocumented workers have only fake numbers, they'll never be able to collect the benefits these taxes are meant to pay for. Last year, the revenues from these fake numbers -- that the Social Security administration stashes in the "earnings suspense file" -- added up to 10 percent of the Social Security surplus. The file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year. Beyond federal taxes, all illegals automatically pay state sales taxes that contribute toward the upkeep of public facilities such as roads that they use, and property taxes through their rent that contribute toward the schooling of their children. The non-partisan National Research Council found that when the taxes paid by the children of low-skilled immigrant families -- most of whom are illegal -- are factored in, they contribute on average $80,000 more to federal coffers than they consume. Yes, many illegal migrants impose a strain on border communities on whose doorstep they first arrive, broke and unemployed. To solve this problem equitably, these communities ought to receive the surplus taxes that federal government collects from immigrants. But the real reason border communities are strained is the lack of a guest worker program. Such a program would match willing workers with willing employers in advance so that they wouldn't be stuck for long periods where they disembark while searching for jobs. The cost of undocumented aliens is an issue that immigrant bashers have created to whip up indignation against people they don't want here in the first place. With the Senate having just returned from yet another vacation and promising to revisit the stalled immigration bill, politicians ought to set the record straight: Illegals are not milking the government. If anything, it is the other way around. The Undocumented Immigrants pay the exact same amount of taxes like you and me when they buy Things, rent a house, fill up gas, drink a beer or wine, buy appliances, play the states lottery and mega millions . Below are the links to just a few sites that will show you exactly how much tax you or the Undocumented Immigrant pays , so you see they are NOT FREELOADERS, THEY PAY TAXES AND TOLLS Exactly the same as you, Now if you take out 10% from your states /city Budget what will your city/state look like financially ? Stop your folly thinking , you are wise USE YOUR WISDOM to see the reality. They pay more taxes than you think, Including FEDERAL INCOME TAX using a ITN Number that is given to them by the IRS, Social Security Taxes and State taxes that are withheld form their paychecks automatically. GAS Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same. Go to and check out your states tax; http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp Cigarette Taxes paid by you & the Undocumented are the same, check this out in : http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html Food Taxes, paid by You & the Undocumented are the same in each state check your state : http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales.html Clothing Sales Taxes, are the same paid by you & the Undocumented Immigrant; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States City Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented, since he pays rent and the LANDLORD pays the city : http://www.town-usa.com/statetax/statetaxlist.html Beer Taxes, are the same paid by you or the Undocumented: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/beer.html TAX DATA : http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/245.html
I see the cut and paste tagger ("American Patriot") strikes again. The bottom line is that illegal aliens consume alot more in services than they pay in taxes. A Heritage Foundation report estimates that amnesty would impost a net cost of at least $2.6 TRILLON on taxpayers. The cost of amnesty would far outweigh the modest benefits the country would see from 12 million new, low-skilled workers. About 50- to 60-percent of illegal aliens are high school dropouts and another 30- to 40-percent have a foreign high school degree, which is very similar. "The reality is that that type of family – on average – receives about $20,000 a year more in benefits than they pay in taxes. NO AMNESTY!
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