Posted on 08/09/2006 12:22:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES
The nation's largest federation of unions agreed Wednesday to work with a network of immigrant day laborers to improve wages and working conditions for those who solicit work from street corners across America.
The agreement between the AFL-CIO and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, formally adopted in Chicago, is a sign of day laborers' growing role in the U.S. economy.
Experts also said it reflects the need for unions to expand to regain clout.
The agreement does not clear the way for day laborers to become union members, but both sides said it could be a step in that direction.
The agreement calls for the network's 40 nationwide centers to affiliate with the federation and receive representation on local labor councils.
Under the plan, the AFL-CIO and network will pursue minimum wage campaigns, safety at construction sites and legislation to criminalize employers who stiff day laborers.
The groups will also work toward reform that includes amnesty for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
"This is huge for day laborers," said Abel Valenzuela, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and co-author of the first national study of day laborers released in January.
"The AFL-CIO can hire staff to help with organizing, provide more legal services and lobby on behalf on day laborers," he said.
Among other things, the study found that an average of 117,000 day laborers seek work each day, with the top employers being homeowners.
The agreement came as day laborers, a majority of whom are Hispanic and undocumented, take steps to become more organized.
At a large center in downtown Los Angeles, day laborers said they hoped the agreement would lead to unionization. The center has set the minimum hourly pay for its workers at $8. Skilled workers command up to $15 an hour.
"We've all had employers not pay us, and seen workers hurt at jobs," said Francisco Jimenez, 35, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
For years, unions have experienced diminishing numbers and clout because of globalization, automation and the transition from an industrial-based economy to one that is service-driven.
Some members see undocumented workers as a vast untapped pool of potential new members. Others, however, think they drag down wages and thwart organizing efforts.
Unions were often at odds while Congress debated immigration reform earlier this year, with some groups arguing against guest worker programs and amnesty for illegal immigrants.
The dissension was evident last year when a handful of unions, including the Service Employees International Union, broke from the AFL-CIO in an effort to forge a new direction for organized labor.
The breakaway unions complained that the AFL-CIO focused too much on electoral politics and not enough on organizing more people, including immigrant workers.
"The agreement is a strategic move for the AFL-CIO," Valenzuela said. "They are thinking about how to maintain and increase their ranks."
The day labor network also has much to gain.
Originally a ragtag group of centers in 2001, the network is emerging as a powerful force for organizing day laborers. Its 40 member sites are used by thousands of workers each day.
Among other things, the sites provide English classes and workshops on labor rights. All laborers and employers are registered in data bases, and workers often vote on center decisions involving wages and operations.
Day laborers have also become a target of anti-illegal immigration groups who have staged protests at day labor sites, told immigration officials about employers who hire illegals, and sued cities that build day labor centers.
"We need as many alliances as we can to fight back," said Pablo Alvarado, director of the day labor network.
Whether the agreement leads to full unionization will depend on how aggressively the AFL-CIO focuses on day labor issues, and how day laborers respond to organization efforts, said Janice Fine, a labor professor at Rutgers University.
"A union could feel like, 'great, it's just more mouths to feed,'" if that mutual relationship doesn't develop, Fine said.
Day laborers in Los Angeles said their interest will depend on whether unions help them get full-time jobs and become legal residents.
Cesar Ramirez, 48, an illegal immigrant, said he had been part of a plumbers union in Mexico and would like to join one in this country for health benefits and work protection.
"But without (residency) papers I don't see it happening," he said.
Yep. Never mind that illegals cut into the wages of working stiffs. All the union bosses care about is getting more members and more union dues.
The more these guys organize for better pay, benefits and amnesty, the greater incentive for more illegals to come to underprice them.
Illegals popular BECAUSE they're cheap, and they're cheap BECAUSE they're illegal.
It's not like the AFL-CIO mucky mucks haven't been involved in the support of and collusion with criminal elements before.
Could the RICO Act eventually come into play as this "relationship"develops?
All the union bosses care about is getting more members and more union dues.
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Right on. Just follow the money, and the politics.
If anything could drive the wages of illegal aliens past the point of people wanting to hire them, it's the AFL-CIO! Union membership has been dropping like a rock, maybe they'll have the same effect on the number of illegals.
AFL-CIO working with a industry front group?
How times change. Two elites, one flavor.
AFL-CIO at one time was proud of the fact it was part of the Natl Immigration Forum.
I think these stories about "hopes" for day laborers are pr for the union minions to hold a false belief their leaders aren't working against them.
Sorry - One elite, two flavors.
:)
It also means that once again, the AFL-CIO has chosen to line up on the wrong side of history. The anti-immigration pendulum is gaining momentum, and nothing will stop it in the long run.
Union bosses also like Latinos because they come from a culture where corruption and abuses by those in positions of power is acceptable. No more pesky union members complaining when you embezzle and featherbed!
This is the exact reason why the Republicans better NOT approve ANY amnesty. The unions want to pick up dues from the money they lost on all of the outsourced jobs. The MINUTE illegals become legal, they will no longer work for less than minimum wages. They have been demanding "benefits" now and they're not even citizens. The unions will show them how to work for much higher wages, plus benefits. THAT sets up the necessity for cheap labor again, because those working the illegal jobs won't want to work there any longer. That puts them in direct competition with LEGAL Americans for their jobs!!!
Can't say I'm surprised by this. As a Toledo resident, I have become familiar over the months since the March protests, with a group headquartered here, called FLOC AFL/CIO. I wrote about it here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613076/posts
This organization has great influence in the Michigan, Ohio and NC agricultural community and Valdemar Velasquez is co-Chair of the Labor Party. Several years ago you may have read about their participation in the Mt. Olive Pickle boycotts. Locally they are responsible for having 'influenced' the city to accept the matricula consular ID cards, heavy influence in the Catholic Church, and play a very influential role in both parochial and public school Latino student activities. Later this month, I suspect they will also play a big role in the annual South of the Border festival that will take place adjacent to the ghetto they've created called Perrysburg Heights. If only I were a braver person. LOL
http://www.floc.com/history.html
California= Union Shop.
Arizona= Right to Work.
Which state would you rather be in?
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