A new study dispels the myth that immigrant workers are taking good-paying jobs away from American-born workers, says the AFL-CIO union federation.
According to ‘The Low Wages of Black Immigrants,’ released last week by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), black workers, whether they were born in the United States or in a foreign country, have the highest unemployment rate, period.
In the United States, the black unemployment rate in July was 15.9 per cent, compared with an overall rate of 9.1 per cent.
The 12.4 per cent jobless rate among black immigrant workers last year was slightly higher than for Hispanic immigrants (11.3 per cent) and significantly higher than for white (7.4 per cent) and Asian immigrants (7.3 per cent).
At the same time, black workers, whether native-born or immigrant, earn significantly less than white workers, the report shows.
This is especially true for men. US-born black men earn 19.1 per cent less than white men while black immigrant men from English-speaking Caribbean countries earn 20.7 per cent less.
Haitian men (33.8 per cent less) and African men (34.7 per cent less) do substantially worse than any other group.
All groups of black women have lower weekly wages than similar US-born white women, but the size of the wage gaps is smaller for women than it is for men.
The report’s co-authors, Patrick Mason, economics professor at Florida State University, and Algernon Austin, director of EPI’s Race, Ethnicity and the Economy programme, point out that it’s not a matter of education that creates the job and wage gap for blacks.
In 2008, more than one-third of African immigrants (36.6 per cent) had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 29.5 per cent of whites.
A higher percentage of native-born blacks (32 per cent) had high school education than whites (30 per cent), according to the study.
The EPI study follows a US Labour Department report released last month that shows African Americans lag behind the rest of the nation.
Other studies show that blacks are disproportionately hurt by cuts in public employment and attacks on public workers.
Mason and Austin said their study makes it clear that ‘because this disadvantage in the labour market affects both US- and foreign-born blacks, it points to a problem that stems from race and not cultural background.’
l On Monday morning, thousands of striking workers joined mass picket lines and rallies at more than 100 Verizon work locations across New York and New Jersey to push the highly profitable company to back off from its sweeping demands.
In the Washington, D.C. area, unions held a mobilization rally on Monday at noon at the Chesapeake Complex, 13100 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring.
More than 45,000 workers from New England to Virginia went on strike just after midnight on Sunday at Verizon Communications.
The workers, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the Electrical Workers (IBEW), say they are striking until Verizon ‘stops its Wisconsin-style tactics and starts bargaining seriously.’
The strike, says CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton, is ‘all about good jobs. Companies like Verizon should be investing in rebuilding the American economy, not contributing to the destruction of good, middle-class jobs.’
Says IBEW President Edwin Hill: ‘We cannot stand by while one of the richest, most successful corporations in the world joins the race to decimate the middle class of this country.
‘We remain ready to meet with Verizon to work out a fair agreement, but at this point, we had no choice.’
Since bargaining began July 22, Verizon has refused to move from a long list of concession demands.
As the contract expired, Verizon, a $100 billion company, still was looking for $1 billion in concessions from 45,000 workers and families.
That’s about $20,000 in givebacks for every family, nearly 100 concessionary proposals remained on the table.
This despite Verizon’s 2011 annualised revenues of $108 billion and net profits of $6 billion.
At the same time, Verizon Wireless just paid its parent company, Vodaphone, a $10 billion dividend. Meanwile, Verizon’s four top executives received $258 million over the past four years.
Verizon already has outsourced some 25,000 jobs. It’s trying to destroy middle-class jobs and the middle-class standard of living that workers have gained over the past 50 years, said the AFL-CIO.
On Monday, CWA Communications Director Candice Johnson issued the following statement on Verizon’s failure to show up for contract talks:
‘Verizon workers are waiting for management to demonstrate that it’s ready to bargain. In fact, we’re looking for Verizon to stop canceling bargaining sessions that have been scheduled.
‘Saturday night: session cancelled by Verizon.
‘Sunday morning session: cancelled by Verizon.
‘Sunday afternoon session: cancelled by Verizon.
‘Today: Workers are waiting now to see what, if anything, comes from the session scheduled for later this morning.
‘Verizon employees have been waiting since June 22 for management to bargain at all.
‘Even at contract expiration, Verizon continued to demand $1 billion in concessions per year. That’s $20,000 for every worker.
‘That demand is coming from a $100 billion company, where the top five executives got compensation of $258 million over the past four years.
‘Verizon’s concession demands would strip away the middle class standard of living that workers have gained through bargaining over the past 50 years. Verizon is following the Wisconsin playbook and it’s wrong.’
l Last Friday the AFL-CIO declared: ‘The 1,300 locked-out employees at American Crystal Sugar Co. in three states need your help.
‘The members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 167G have been locked out since August 1st after they rejected the company’s final offer by a nine-to-one margin.
‘American Crystal reportedly has hired replacement workers at its seven plants in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa.
‘Negotiations to replace a seven-year contract began in May. The union has filed an unfair labour practice charge against American Crystal, claiming the company has not bargained in good faith.
‘You can help the American Crystal workers, who want to work and who are standing up for workers’ rights by signing a petition here telling American Crystal’s CEO Dave Berg to not turn his back on the community.
‘You also can contribute to the Sugar Beet Workers fund that will help workers during the hardship faced while being locked out.
‘Make cheques out to: Minnesota AFL-CIO, 175 Aurora Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103. In the memo line, print “BCTGM Lockout 2011”.’
