Submitted by the South Central (Wis.) Federation of Labor
Referred to the Resolutions Committee
WHEREAS, Every day, more than 11 million immigrant aspiring citizens contribute to our communities, our economy, and our country—yet are denied a voice in the workplace and essential rights in our society;
WHEREAS, A strong and vibrant democracy cannot function unless all men and women, regardless of their skin color or where they were born, can participate meaningfully in the political process with full rights and equal protections;
WHEREAS, The union movement recognizes that the way we treat new immigrants reflects our commitment to democracy and the values that define us;
WHEREAS, Working people are strongest when working together and the union movement is strongest when it is open to all workers, regardless of where they come from;
WHEREAS, The creation of a road map to citizenship for new American immigrants would improve wages and labor standards for all workers by empowering immigrant workers and halting employers who take advantage of our failed immigration policies to pursue a race to the bottom;
WHEREAS, Temporary worker programs do not reflect America’s values as a democratic society. History teaches that guest worker programs create a second class of workers, unable to exercise even the most fundamental rights, which lowers wages and working conditions for all workers;
WHEREAS, The dreams of young immigrants to have access to quality education and the hopes of millions of immigrants to reunify their families are consistent with American values;
AND WHEREAS, America’s unions remain committed to working together on the side of justice for all, along with our community partners, including civil rights, human rights and immigrant rights organizations, to pass fundamental reform that encompasses these principles and strengthens our democracy;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the South Central Federation of Labor, which represents the voices of more than 30,000 workers and their families in south central Wisconsin, and the AFL-CIO call upon Congress to pass commonsense immigration reform that reflects the principles outlined in the unified union movement’s framework for comprehensive immigration reform, “Immigration for Shared Prosperity: A Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform”;
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, The South Central Federation of Labor and the AFL-CIO will continue to work with allies to promote comprehensive immigration reform based on the principles outlined in this resolution and will communicate this position to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation.