Protest against Arizona’s immigration law expands with new anti-union measure

ILWU members from Southern California joined a caravan of more than 500 union members who traveled by bus from Los Angeles to Phoenix on July 29th where they marched and rallied against Arizona’s new immigration law – and learned about a new anti-union ballot measure that’s being sponsored by the same proponents who backed the anti-immigrant law.

“We went to represent the ILWU and stand up for everyone’s rights,” said Angel Blanco of Local 13 who led a delegation of his local brothers that included Eddie Greenwood, Hector Reyna, Leon Villaseñor, Sal Pardo, Paul Sanchez, plus Local 63 member Gary Jacobelly.

“We met thousands of good people from Arizona and other states during our visit,” said Blanco, “but we also learned that union members are the next ones in the crosshairs.”

Union members left Dodger Stadium at 4 a.m. and arrived in Phoenix later that morning to a breakfast served at a local church that had opened their doors to the tired travellers.

“There were people on the caravan from every color and background, explained Ed Greenwood, who noted that his own family includes German and Irish ancestors and his mother who immigrated from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Anti-union and anti-immigrant connections confirmed

A few weeks after the protest, a key Arizona legislator behind the anti-immigrant measure announced plans to push a nasty anti-union law on the November ballot. State Senator Russell Pearce has a long history of promoting anti-worker legislation. During the past six years he’s introduced 20 laws to harass union members – and that doesn’t include all the bills he pushed before becoming a State Senator.

“We’ve been telling people that the anti-immigrant laws are bad news for union members because the leaders of that movement seem to generally hate unions and get funding from antiunion companies,” says Eddie Greenwood. “Just a few weeks ago, we were trying to warn people about this connection, and now we have the proof that the same leaders attacking immigrants are now attacking unions!”

Local 13 member Sal Pardo drove by himself from Los Angeles to Arizona after missing an early morning bus so he could join his co-workers at the Arizona protest.

Anti-union extremism in a pretty package

The ballot measure being promoted by State Senator Pearce is deceptively simple yet potentially devastating because it would prohibit workers from using the “card-check” process to join a union. Card-check allows workers to have a union after a majority simply sign a card. Without card-check, employers can make it virtually impossible to join a union by threatening and firing employees during the easily orchestrated delays that companies use to frustrate and intimidate The Pearce law would ask voters to require “secret ballot elections” before workers could join a union – which seems reasonable enough to voters unfamiliar with the tricks companies use to rig the elections and intimidate workers from joining a union. The same anti-union groups that successfully killed the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress are now sending their lobbyists and cash to states like Arizona where anti-immigrant agitators have prepared the ground for a new wave of scapegoating against union members.

Federal courts consider ILWU arguments, rule against AZ law

Hours before the caravan crossed the state line, a federal judge ruled that much of the Arizona law was unconstitutional. Among the arguments considered by the judge was a “Friend of the Court” or Amicus Brief filed by the ILWU, arguing that the new law was similar to anti-immigrant measures used by the government to harass ILWU International President Harry Bridges in the years following World War II.

Workers in the caravan were prepared to challenge Arizona authorities by intentionally travelling without documents to establish their citizenship – then daring officials to arrest them for violating the new law. But after the federal judge ruled that part of the law was unconstitutional, the group went forward with a march and rally to protest remaining provisions that could spread to other states and impact communities across the country:

• Making it a crime for individuals or groups including churches – to “harbor” undocumented immigrants.
• Making it a crime to provide rides for undocumented immigrants in cars owned by an individual, church, social service agency, or local charity.
• Prohibiting communities from directing local police to make enforcement of immigration laws a lower priority than enforcing laws protecting citizens from violent crimes and other serious threats.

Sharing ILWU views with the news media and public

Reporters in both Los Angeles and Phoenix covered the caravan story, interviewing union members to learn what motivated so many to drive almost 800 miles round trip and spend 12 hours travelling on busses. ILWU members were interviewed by a CNN crew, that was told how delegates overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on immigrant rights at the ILWU 2009 Convention which established the union’s policy.

The long day that went into the evening was time well-spent, according to Angel Blanco. “We wanted to make a point that people can count on union members to help when there’s a fight against injustice. Blanco isn’t blind to the challenge he faces in the days and months ahead. “I realize some people support the Arizona law, including some people in our own union, but I think many will reconsider after they understand that the anti-union people are the ones behind the attack on immigrants.”

Links:

• The bus caravan to Arizona was coordinated by the LA County Federation of Labor:
• See an interview with immigrant rights organizer Carlos Garcia here.
• Read an excellent column in the Los Angeles Times about the caravan here.