APALA Supports Workers’ Rights and the AFL-CIO Leadership’s Opposition to the Bush Administration’s “No-Match” Policy
Thursday, August 30, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Gloria T.
Caoile
Phone: (202) 508-3733
Fax: (202)
508-3716
Email: gcaoile@apalanet.org
Website:
www.apalanet.org
APALA Supports Workers’
Rights and the AFL-CIO
Leadership’s
Opposition to the Bush Administration’s “No-Match” Policy
Opposition to the Bush Administration’s “No-Match” Policy
WASHINGTON, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) supports the AFL-CIO’s challenge to the Bush Administration’s new Social Security “No-Match” rule. It is an ineffective immigration enforcement tool that will ultimately harm all workers.
The flawed system does not achieve its stated goal of identifying undocumented workers and does nothing to address illegal immigration. Additionally, the policy does not require employer audits, increase the number of audits, or in any way investigates employers. The government’s own studies indicate that well over 70% of the workers identified by the no-match system are U.S. citizens. U.S. workers will ultimately bear the burden of this new policy.
Furthermore, the no-match letters are a means for employers to suppress workers’ right to organize. “Employers have used the letter to fire workers when workers have tried to organize, report a workplace hazard or when they report an injury,” said Maria Somma, President of APALA. “The new rule will also likely lead to discrimination, especially against Asian Pacific American workers.” Many employers who may not want to deal with the new burdens imposed by the no-match rule will simply avoid hiring anyone who looks or sounds “foreign.”
Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, is the first and only national organization of Asian Pacific American union members.
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