CONTACT: Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444, wranick@usw.org
(Pittsburgh) -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard issued the following statement today regarding President Obama’s address to the nation on immigration reform:
“More than 500 days ago, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to address many of the current problems with our immigration system. Unfortunately the House Republicans have failed to perform their duty to take a vote. Meanwhile millions of people continue to live on the fringes of society even though they want to live right by the law and contribute to our country.
“Tonight the President announced that he will act to begin fixing our immigration system, one that has unquestionably been broken for decades. Like Presidents before him – including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush – he will take executive action, recognizing that we are both a nation of laws and of immigrants. In fact, every President since Dwight Eisenhower has taken executive action on immigration.
“Our current immigration policy breaks up families, stifles opportunities for new American immigrants and allows low-end employers to take advantage of all workers in a race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.
“The President tonight presented a common sense solution that creates a roadmap to bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, while establishing ways to better control our borders, and discourage employers from illegally hiring undocumented workers.
“Make no mistake; these proposals are good for all workers. And, as the Bipartisan Policy Center’s study, ‘Immigration Reform: Implications for Growth, Budgets, and Housing,’ points out, these actions would reduce the national debt and spur economic growth and housing construction.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/. To follow USW on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instragram, search @Steelworkers.
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