Unions fight to preserve Obama’s immigration actions – and their members

FILE: UNDATED: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (3rd L) marches with Jack Ahern, President of the NYC Central Labor Council (3rd R) and other leaders at a rally in New York, N.Y. (AP)

Two of country’s most powerful and politically influential labor unions are backing President Obama in the recent court challenge to his 2014 executive action on illegal immigration, saying they support the president’s effort because undocumented workers need more workplace protection.
The AFl-CIO and the National Education Association on Monday each filed so-called amicus briefs in a federal appeals court in which Texas and 26 other states are challenges the president’s November 2014 memorandum on illegal immigration.

The presidential memorandum essentially expands work authorization and delayed-deportation programs for illegal immigrants. And it provides similar opportunities for illegal immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
AFL-CIO’s 36-page brief essential argues that Texas lacks the so-called “legal standing” to challenge the memorandum and that the administration didn’t violate procedural requirement in issuing the order.
However, the union also makes very clear its interest in the outcome of the proceedings.
“First, through existing collective bargaining relationships, AFL-CIO affiliates represent many undocumented workers in workplaces throughout the country,” according to the 36-page brief by the AFL-CIO, the county’s bigger union collective, with 56 nation and international unions representing roughly 12 million workers and retired workers.
AFL-CIO lawyers argue such workers have substantive protection under labor and employment law but not to a “full range of remedies” when such laws are violated.
However, the so-called undocumented workers are not entitled to back pay under the National Labor Relations Act and are vulnerable to employer retaliation if they complain about violations.
“Secondly, this lack of legal remedies and vulnerability to retaliation creates an incentive for some unscrupulous employers to employ large numbers of undocumented workers at sub-standard wages and working conditions. Law-abiding employers must compete with these employers, making it more difficult for AFL-CIO affiliate unions to raise wages and improve working conditions.”
Many critics of Obama’s plans to reform federal immigration law without a vote in Congress say he is providing “amnesty” to those who have entered the U.S. illegally. They also say the plans -- backed by Americans companies and labor unions -- take away jobs from U.S. citizens.
"The labor unions, like Democratic politicians, have decided to rely on importing the citizens of other nations to gain power in this one. Of course this cancels out jobs and votes for Americans," a GOP congressional aide told FoxNews.com on Saturday.
In 2004, the AFL-CIO spent $5.1 million in lobbying and gave $8.7 million in political-related contributions, zero money going to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org.
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