Just wait until the illegals demand unions for better wages and benefits.

[cantstandbush]

Then the corporate whores will turn on them.

[mattclearing]

1. No, then they will call INS.

Next?

[MADem]

3. Sadly, that's it, exactly

Use 'em up, wear 'em out!

[bowens43]

7. Exactly why they should be given legal status.

[mattclearing]

16. But what legal status do you suggest?

Will they be protected by the same constitutional safeguards as us? Corporations and Republicans would prefer not.

[EFerrari]

2. Have you ever heard of Cesar Chavez?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez

[Horse with no Name]

4. I was a kid in Arizona when Chavez

was picketing in the vineyards. It is something I will never forget. It was an opportunity to see that one person can effect change.

[EFerrari]

5. Even in that political climate, he stood up for workers.

[TygrBright]

6. My god, yes... God bless him

AND I remember how demonized he was in the mainstream press of the day. The amount of venom they spewed at him was almost unbelievable. It brought me to tears, several times, watching his dignity and strength of purpose in the face of such excoriation.

A truly decent human being and a great leader. More like him, we need more like him...

wistfully,
Bright

[cantstandbush]

8. I don't believe Chavez was an "illegal immigrant." He was a fighter

for workers rights, humane, and equal and fair treatment of workers. I can find nowhere that he condoned illegal immigration or other breaking of the law.

[EFerrari]

10. Chavez worked for workers, period. He didn't distinguish

between legal hunger and illegal hunger. :)

[Nederland]

11. Not exactly

In 1969 Chávez and members of the UFW marched through the Imperial and Coachella Valley to the border of Mexico to protest growers' use of illegal aliens as temporary replacement workers during a strike.

(from the Wiki article linked above)

[EFerrari]

13. Yes - they marched against MANAGEMENT

not against workers. And, he was right. That was the right target. :)

[Nederland]

14. Correct

My point however, was that Chávez wanted management to hire legal aliens, not illegal aliens.

[EFerrari]

17. I can understand that view. However, Chavez wanted

to improve working conditions for workers, that's what he did. And he had the good sense to go after management, not splinter labor.

I think an aspect of this situation that gets overlooked most of the time is the incredibly complicated status of Mexican American families. I can have docs, my brother may be working through the process and our sister could be here "illegally".

That's who farm workers are, families in that position. So, the thrust has always been to improve working conditions, not to turn in our relatives.

[melissinha]

12. Chavez was born in Arizona

Just heard on Thom Hartmann, Chavez actually turned in illegal immigrants because the use of illegal immigrants was used to drive down wage of legal immigrants...

In 1969, Chávez and members of the UFW marched through the Imperial and Coachella Valley to the border of Mexico to protest growers' use of illegal aliens as temporary replacement workers during a strike. Joining him on the march were both a Reverend Ralph Abernathy and a U.S. Senator Walter Mondale. Chávez and the UFW would often report suspected illegal aliens who served as temporary replacement workers as well as who refused to unionize to the INS.

[newportdadde]

9. Lmao... that will never happen, they will just get deported or fired.

For one working a job 10 are waiting to take their place. As far as unionizing.. not going to happen in a right to work state.

If they are illegal they will get deported, if they are legal they will just get fired(what happens today to US Citizens).

[Elwood P Dowd]

15. Hammer hits nail

The greedy repuke business owners love the endless supply of slave-wage immigrants pouring into the country. It's all about supply and demand. Wages will stay rock-bottom until the supply dries up.

[cantstandbush]

19. Corporations may hear American citizens if they organize and boycott

against their asses unless they abide by our laws. This may be the one issue upon which the materialistic, consumer will sacrifice to get big business to tow the line.

[Kansas Wyatt]

18. Republican Employer:

'Don't you threaten me, you little beaner some bitches. I'll have your asses immediately arrested, and you'll be in Mexico before your shift is over. I decide what you'll be paid, what is fair, and whether you get any rights. Remember, you broke our law coming here, and I am your Master.'

Guest Worker Option - 'Hell yes indeed, I've got hundreds more coming up from Mexico and begging for jobs too. Looks like I'm going to have to lower my pay scale, since we have such an over-abundance of labor. Hot damn, I've never had it so good.'

Meanwhile, John Q. Citizen is told that his skilled blue collar job now pays minimum wage, and he should sink himself into debt going to school. John Q. Citizen earns a degree, while working round the clock and going to school, and is heavily in debt, but learns that the field he chose is now outsourced, doesn't pay much more than minimum wage now, or an abundance of guest workers have flooded his field. Too bad John Q. Citizen, nobody told you to go into debt by going to school, and maybe you should pull yourself up by the bootstraps and work a little harder.

Bottom line, it's a managed RACKET, John Q. Citizen is SOL, and immigrants are expendable.