Document Actions
Workers’ Alliance for a Just Economy Condemns Mississippi Raid as Detrimental to American Values
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2008Washington – A coalition of organizations representing low-wage workers condemns the massive raid earlier this week at Howard Industries in Mississippi as detrimental to worker rights and American values.
"When immigrant workers are targeted in the workplace, it frightens workers from complaining about unhealthy workplace conditions, pay illegalities, and other labor violations and adversely affects the entire workforce, whether immigrant or non-immigrant," said Rafael Riofrio, member of the Board of Directors of Make the Road New York, a community organization in New York City, and part of WAJE.
Increasingly, interior enforcement efforts by ICE have targeted large-scale factory operations with a history of union organizing and complaints about unlawful conditions. This significant up tick in immigration enforcement activities has been accompanied by a dramatic reduction in labor enforcement. In mid-July, two Government Accounting Office (GAO) reports described that the Department of Labor (DOL) mishandled overtime and minimum-wage complaints and delayed or failed to investigate hundreds of cases. The GAO noted a 37% reduction in wage investigations over a ten year period ending in 2007, the exact period when ICE raids on factories exploded. The 20 member organizations of the Workers’ Alliance for a Just Economy (WAJE) believe that this shift is a dramatic misplacement of enforcement resources and is undermining the country’s ability to raise the standard of living for all working people in the United States.
"Our country is built on the belief that everyone has the right to safe and prosperous working conditions so as to support and strengthen their families, communities, and our nation as a whole," said Marie Thomson, the Director of MPOWER a poultry worker organization in Mississippi.. "The right to organize must be assured to all workers, so that an exploitable workforce is not created, and we will all be lifted up to build our communities and economy."
The Workers' Alliance for a Just Economy (WAJE) is a coalition of 20 organizations from across the United States that address issues of workers’ rights and economic justice and is staffed by the Center for Community Change that aims to create meaningful economic opportunities, improve working conditions and increase wages nationally.
Files available for download:
