Failure to Enforce U.S. Labor Laws Fuels Exploitation of Workers

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/05/07/failure-to-enforce-us-labor-laws-fuels-exploitation-of-workers/

by James Parks, May 7, 2008

The failure to enforce even weak U.S. labor laws has created an incentive for many employers to hire undocumented immigrant workers, several experts told a House committee earlier this week.

Bill Beardell, director of the non-partisan Equal Justice Center, told the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee some unscrupulous employers actually prefer to hire undocumented workers. In the absence of effective federal enforcement of worker protections, they know they can easily exploit and silence such workers, he says. During the hearing, Beardell played a chilling audiotape of an employer’s phone message to an immigrant worker who simply wanted to be paid for the work he had done. (See video.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR-Ifi68f0k

During the hearing, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), committee chairman, said that with more than 7.6 million unemployed workers in this country, some employers insist they cannot find workers to fill unskilled jobs. Miller makes it clear that Congress needs to enact stronger labor protections to protect the rights of guest workers and U.S. workers. (See video.)

The hearings backed up the position of the AFL-CIO, unions, human rights and workers’ rights advocates: The nation needs comprehensive immigration reform that ensures immigrant workers’ rights are respected and provides relief to the growing number of undocumented workers in our country by offering them a path to citizenship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgl3kb1k8L4

In a letter to Miller, AFL-CIO Legislation Director William Samuel said our immigration system is broken, but expanding guest worker programs is not the solution.

…the strategy of over-reliance and expansion of flawed federally-sponsored temporary guest worker programs will harm all workers rather than mitigate the tragic consequences of our broken system.

Instead, we must search for comprehensive solutions that will both provide relief for the millions of undocumented workers who work every day yet are afforded no legal protections and also ensure that we are safeguarding quality jobs with fair wages for all who labor within our borders.