Don’t Pit Workers against Immigrants

In the midst of the recent debates about immigration policies, some politicians have attempted to pit the working poor - often native-born blacks and Latinos - against recent immigrants.  These politicians portray immigrants as unfair competitors for jobs, and suggest that competition between the two groups drives down wages in what is already a low-wage sector of the labor market. 

These arguments serve as a distraction from the real issues that concern low-wage workers, whether immigrant or native-born: finding family-sustaining jobs with benefits – especially health care coverage – as well as affordable housing and decent schools. A comprehensive agenda of job creation and skills acquisition would do more to help low-wage workers than a punitive immigration policy.

But rather than seeking common ground, the current immigration debate is tinged by divisive tactics – including racism.  In 1965, Congress removed immigration quotas based on country of origin and introduced a system based primarily on family unification.  The result was a decrease in immigration from Europe and an increase in immigration from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean.  Culturally and racially, most new immigrants differ from those of the first great wave of immigration 100 years ago.

Similar Obstacles

But the obstacles faced by recent immigrants haven’t changed.  Making a living is the most difficult task for many immigrants.  This is also true for native-born low-wage workers, especially here in New York City where the cost of living is so high. 

The decline in union membership and strength has resulted in a loss of earning power for low-income workers.  Non-union jobs have driven down wages.  The common agenda of immigrants and native-born workers presents an opportunity to revitalize organized labor in the low-wage sector.     

The answer to these problems is not to scapegoat immigrants, a tactic that is used whenever the job market is weak.  We need a coherent policy for job creation and training to give low-skilled workers a chance at a better future.  The Bush tax cuts have failed to create more jobs, and Congress recently failed to increase the federal minimum wage – which would have helped low-wage workers, immigrants and native-born alike. 

New York City has recently embarked on a series of initiatives to create pipelines to well-paying jobs for low-income New Yorkers.  The City Council, prompted by research published by the Community Service Society on black male joblessness, created a $10 million program for job training for the chronically unemployed last year and allocated another $18 million in its latest budget.

Two groups share
many problems

The Commission on Construction Opportunity – first proposed by the Community Service Society - was created by Mayor Bloomberg to ensure that all New Yorkers, especially people of color, can gain access to good construction jobs.  The city’s construction unions have agreed to commit specific percentages of apprenticeship slots to disconnected young people, women, graduates of city high schools, and returning service men and women. 

The city’s Commission for Economic Opportunity will be making its recommendations around Labor Day.  The deal worked out with the construction industry should be duplicated in other unionized sectors, to create a channel to other well-paying jobs, such as automotive repair, equipment servicing, and transportation – none of which require a college degree.

The city recently proposed a new vocational education initiative and is developing specific educational curricula for its new High School for Construction Trades, Engineering, and Architecture, scheduled to open in the fall.  This is an innovative new model that will lead to better preparation for good jobs. 

A report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University concluded that recent immigrants were critical to the nation’s economic growth over the past decade.  While many economists acknowledge that competition from low-skilled immigrants exerts some negative pressure on wages, on balance, they find that immigration has a positive effect on our economy. 

Immigrants pay more in taxes than they consume in public services and benefits, according to a National Research Council study.  A high proportion of immigrants work and pay taxes.  Many return to their home countries before retirement and never claim Social Security payments or Medicare coverage.  

Benefits for New York

Immigration produces economic benefits for New York City as well as adding to our diverse quality of life.  New York has always been a city of immigrants – the city would be unimaginable without its immigrant populations.     

The United States is the greatest social experiment in history: to take a nation as large as a continent and fill it with people from every nation in the world, every race, every religion, every ethnic group, every culture.  New York City is the truest representation of that experiment and of the promise of America: a place where people can come and find the freedom and opportunity to start anew.

We must not allow political forces to play off the native-born working poor against immigrants.  That is a ploy unworthy of our nation and our city.

From the New York Amsterdam News
August 10 - 16, 2006