The days are getting shorter, the morning air is hopefully getting a little crisper, and Labor Day is here to remind us of the power of collective action and to put away our white pants.
The intersection of immigration and the Labor movement in the United States has a long and complicated history. Early Unions opposed immigration for nativist and racist reasons in addition to fears of losing hard-fought ground in wages and safety protections.
But immigrants have also had a significant role in the history of organized labor including the creation of the United Farm Workers’ Union, the Ladies Garment Workers Union, and Service Employee Industrial Union’s Justice for Janitors program, all comprised mostly of immigrant workers.
Today, from SEIU organizing “rapid response networks” in LA, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transport workers protesting on behalf of Kilmar Abrego, to Union leaders across industries protesting government deportation actions, we see Unions playing an active role in fighting for protection of immigrant workers of all statuses and against unfair detention and deportation. We see an acknowledgement through these actions of the importance of the Labor movement’s solidarity with immigrant workers of all statuses.
As we celebrate Labor Day and we recognize the victories of the Labor movement in the United States, let’s remember that immigrants are and have always been central to our culture and our workforce. Fighting for dignity and fairness for workers means fighting for dignity and fairness for all workers.
-Bo, Athens resident, musician, and dad.