BTL:Labor Movement Speaks Out Against Bush Administration's...

Labor Movement Speaks Out Against Bush Administration's Post-9/11 Targeting of Immigrants

John Wilhelm, president of the International Union of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees, speech excerpt produced by Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus

Coinciding with the trend of increasing numbers of immigrants working in America's service industries, a rising proportion of members of the International Union of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees are recent arrivals to the United States. At its 1999 annual conference, the AFL-CIO appointed a special committee on immigration chaired by John Wilhelm, the president of the Hotel & Restaurant Employees union. The committee made several proposals that represented a major sea change in long-standing AFL-CIO policy. Among the legislative changes recommended were: amnesty for millions of undocumented workers; replacement of employer sanctions, and restoration of safety net benefits for immigrants abolished by1996 federal legislation.

Since September 11th, the labor movement has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to the Bush administration's targeting of immigrants in the "war against terrorism."

Wilhelm was the keynote speaker at an April 26th conference on the USA Patriot Act & other threats to civil liberties held at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. His talk focused on the need for immigrant workers in the U.S. labor force, and the importance of defending immigrants' rights as a bulwark against the further erosion of civil liberties of all Americans.

This segment was recorded and produced by Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus. For more information, contact HERE at (202) 393-4373 or visit the union's Web site at http://www.hereunion.org

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://66.175.55.251/btl050903.html
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe [at] lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe [at] lists.riseup.net
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
betweenthelines [at] snet.net
*
©2003 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.
**