Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO

(español)

Immigrant Rights

As all throughout American history, each new wave of non-Anglo immigrants have always experienced racism and discrimination.
The hate in the recent federal Sensenbrenner bill sparked mass demonstrations for America to live up to our own core ideals.

In this section:

• What Is The Immigration Issue?
  Why is there an Immigration "Crisis"?
  Baldemar Velásquez Speaks Out on Immigrant Rights
• Online Materials on Immigrant Rights

WHAT IS THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE?

In recent years, we have seen a visible increase in new immigrants in the U.S. There have traditionally been immigrant neighborhoods in most large cities across America, including Irish, Germans, Italians, and also African Americans and Appalachians who have moved to new areas in the country. After World War II, suburbs began developing around the country, and many ethnic neighborhoods melted away. Until recently, immigration ceased to be a visible issue. In the 1990s, however, a new wave of immigrants became visible, as economic globalization, new social conflicts, and other forces after the end of the Cold War increased the rates of migration all over the world. Hispanics are the largest and most visible of these new immigrants in the U.S., but people have come from every region in the world seeking to support their families and to realize new opportunities.

Popular reactions to these new immigrants have also been emerging in recent years. Some responses have been positive, as new neighbors have been welcomed into jobs and communities. But there have also been negative reactions, particularly after the attacks of September 11 2001. After the Civil Rights Movement, it was no longer acceptable in America to express hate and racism... but now it seems OK to be hateful and racist against immigrants. Myths and misinformation are clouding understandings, the voices of prejudice and discrimination are becoming louder, and anti-immigrants are forming vigilante groups and pushing policies that are punitive and oppressive.

What is the Real Immigration Issue?

The American society is facing a major challenge: What kind of society we are making for ourselves? Are we to become a hateful and oppressive society? Or will we become the best that we can be as a people?

FLOC has stood for social and economic justice since its beginnings. Our members are largely immigrants making important contributions in producing foods for Americans. In recent worker conventions, they have raised the issue of the prejudice and discrimination directed against them, and have called on the union to defend immigrant rights.

In response, FLOC has developed our Immigrant Rights Campaign, with the primary goals of:

• Organizing the immigrant community to have their own voice in all areas of their lives
• Organizing support networks for immigrant rights
• Policy advocacy to achieve:
  • Legal residency for immigrants permanently working and living in the country
  • Reunification of families separated by international borders
  • Full human, civil, due process, and working rights for all immigrants
  • An ongoing process for addressing these issues with future migrant flows,
    including the free flow of workers between countries having trade agreements

In addressing the immigration issue, FLOC President Baldemar Velásquez states that the system is designed to benefit corporations and their investors at the expense of workers. He has proposed a Freedom Visa where workers have the same rights as corporations to cross the borders between countries that have trade agreements in the search for economic well-being. For more on the Freedom Visa, go to:
Freedom Visa (PDF)
Also see Workers Without Borders, New York Times (PDF)

WHY IS THERE AN "IMMIGRANTION CRISIS"?

In the last few years, we have seen efforts to create an "immigration crisis" through raids on undocumented workers, the Real ID act, denial of driver licenses to undocumented immigrants, state laws to punish employers who hire undocumented workers, and other "enforcement only" actions.

The one question not asked in this debate is "Why are they here in the first place?"

As we have asked many times, who is behind the harsh treatment of immigrants? One hidden agenda is to force through a "guest worker" program that legally exploits immigrant labor and denies these workers their basic human rights, to the benefit of rich investors.

Instead of helping to fix America's broken immigration system, "enforcement-only" plans only result in the increased misery of millions of the hardest working people in this country, as well as lower labor standards for the American working class in general. They do very little to reduce the immigrant population living in the country without legal status, because the underlying causes of immigrantion are not addressed... especially those policies created by the U.S. power elite to benefit the rich, such as the North American Free Trade Act.

To understand the abuses in the "guest worker" program see Close to Slavery, a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

For more on the FLOC position on this issue, see:

• FLOC works to put immigrants back on the map, Toledo City Paper (PDF)
• Baldemar Velásquez Testifies on Guest Workers (PDF)
• FLOC Denounces Crackdown on Immigrants (PDF)
• FLOC Protests Proposed H2A Rules (PDF)
• Freedom Visa, by Baldemar Velásquez (PDF)

BALDEMAR VELASQUEZ SPEAKS OUT ON IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

FLOC President Baldemar Velásquez has publically advocated for immigrant rights. Some of these events include:

Latinos and Civil Rights: Changing the Face of America, Smithsonian Museum Martin 2009 Luther King Jr. Commerative Event (webcast).

In this address, Baldemar shared his vision of migrant worker justice. He states that the Immigrant Rights Movement is a continuation of the Civil Rights Movement in pursuing self-determination. It is not enough to have laws - the structures of society must be changed so people have their own voice in advocating for themselves. Baldemar also gives his personal story in the struggle for migrant worker rights and self-determination.

Regarding the immigration debate, Baldemar says that American is reaping what it has sowed. Migration does not happen on its own, he says, and gives the example of how the NAFTA trade agreement as displace over six million Mexican corn farmers, who have not other option than to go to the U.S. seeking a way to support their families. He points out how anti-immigrants think history only just started. He quotes the Bible which says to not mistreat or oppress the alien... yet we are terrorizing a whole segment of the population. Christians believe that we have received the greatest amnesty known to man, he says, "How can we deny this to others?"

On "guest workers" in agriculture, Baldemar points out how the current system pits family farmers and farmworkers against each other. Farmers can't afford to bring in legal temporary workers, so in North Carolina 90 percent of field workers are undocumented. Critics of guest worker programs say with some validity that to open the door to temporary foreign workers leads to exploitation. But, he says, this does not have to be the case if these workers can advocate for themselves. He cites how FLOC currently represents about 7,000 guest workers who have an immediate grievance system for addressing problems. We need to shift the whole paradigm of immigration, he says. The agricultural procurement system is designed for the benefit of the large transnational corporations... but, he points out, this makes them responsible for the people at the bottom, both farmers and farmworkers.

Baldemar presents the FLOC solution to the migrant workers "problem". He argues that codes of conduct and other such measures are not the answer, because these still leave the decisions solely up to those who dominate the system for their own benefit. In contrast, FLOC seeks to empower people to defend themselves. Then, they do not have to depend on others to advocate for them... they can advocate for themselves.

In reference to the Civil Rights Movement, Baldemar says he had the privilege of working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Poor People's Campaign. He reflects how Dr. King laid out the cornerstone of the strategy that the FLOC movement has used in its struggle with the agricultural corporations: "When you impede the rich man's ability to make money, anything is possible." He also remembers that César Chavez once said that "all we have to invest is ourselves". Baldemar states that the opposition measures things in terms of money. But, he says, "We have more time than they have money. How can we lose if we don't give up?"

The great lesson of the Civil Rights Movement, Baldemar says, is "Why do we have to discriminate against others? Why does there have to be an exploited group? Everybody has the right to a quality life, to not be exploited." He notes how the next great doctor, scientist, artist is out there is some poor neighborhood.

"Don't lose hope", Baldemar says. "We have to adjust to the realities." He says we can create laws that are just, make trade deals that are fair. "We hope to be a light to the whole world. Well, let us be that."

Baldemar Velásquez writes President Obama on Guest Worker programs (PDF, English and Spanish)

In response to the exploitive lame-duck rules for "guest workers" implemented by the Bush administration before he left office, Baldemar Velásquez has written President Obama about the Guest Worker program. His main points include:

• Bring together unions, advocates, growers and corporations with relevant agriculture interests for the purpose of designing worker supply programs where the corporations are accountable for the labor supply which supply their products.
• Extend full labor rights for domestic, undocumented and "guest workers", including the rights of association and right to organize unions.
• Adopt Ag-Jobs as a transitional step in achieving the above two points.

Flash: DOL Secretary Hilda Solis Suspends Midnight H2A Rules, New York Times (PDF)

Baldemar Velásquez Testifies on Guest Workers (PDF file)

Baldemar testified before the U.S. Congress Committee on Education and Labor regarding H.R. 1763, the Indentured Servitude Abolition Act of 2007. Rep. Miller, chairman of this committee, has said that "unscrupulous foreign labor contractors lure workers to the United States with promises of a better life and decent wages in exchange for thousands of dollars in fees. Instead of good jobs, workers wind up trapped in oppressive employment, often unable to repay their debts to recruiters or find other jobs. This is nothing short of a form of modern-day slavery, and it must end."

In his testimony, Baldemar recounted the problems of H2A workers represented by FLOC, and the efforts by FLOC to clean up the corruption and extortion in the recruiting process, which resulted in the the murder of staff member Santiago Rafael in FLOC's office in Mexico. He called for reforms to help make the use of "guest workers" a positive experience for all concerned:

• No money should change in the home country where workers are recruited.
• The employer should be held jointly liable for a recruiter’s action, and protecting workers from retaliation if they should complain.
• Workers should be afforded the same labor rights as any other worker, including the right to form a union and access to all labor forums and courts to redress grievances and problems.
• Company beneficiaries should be charged a fee to offset their supplier’s costs for the processing fees and expenses of H2A workers.
• A worker should be allowed to obtain a temporary residence, or a least adjust to a visa where he would not have to repeat an application process.

Also see: