Largest U.S. Private-Sector Union Praises House Passage of Bill that Supports Workers and Strengthens the Economy, Urges Swift Approval by Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) praised House passage of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, legislation that would provide much-needed stability to businesses and millions of workers across the economy. UFCW President Marc Perrone, who represents 1.3 million workers across a wide range of industries strengthened by this legislation, released the following statement:
“Today’s House passage of the Dream and Promise Act is a critical step to improving the lives of millions of hard-working men and women who already strengthen our nation’s economy, as well as the communities they call home.
“All of our elected leaders, from both parties, must embrace the truth that providing stability for those who have already passed intensive background checks, pay taxes, and work hard every day to build a better future for all of us is simply the right thing to do.
“Given that this nation was built by generations of immigrants who believed in the promise of this country and worked hard every day to build a better life for their families, it is time for the Senate to join the House and pass this commonsense immigration reform immediately.”
BACKGROUND
The UFCW, which represents 1.3 million workers, is part of a coalition of labor organizations representing workers – including many TPS and DACA recipients – in the service and hospitality, airline catering, laundry, meat packing and food processing, entertainment, transportation, and building and construction industries.
Many of our members and their families maintain TPS and/or DACA status and have been in this country for many years working, building their families, paying taxes, and contributing to the economy. Giving TPS holders and DREAMers a path to citizenship is critical to our unions and to the U.S. economy.
The American Dream and Promise Act will:
- Protect workers from all TPS designated nations, and their immediate family members, who have had a continuous presence in the U.S.
- Give these workers a path to legal permanent resident status as well as eventual naturalization
- Ensure that immigrants who came to the U.S. as children will be able to have a path to permanency as well
Allowing TPS workers to lose their status would have a significant impact on the economy:
- $967 million in turnover costs for employers
- $164 billion in lost GDP
- $6.9 billion in lost Social Security and Medicare payments over a decade.
- 60,000 TPS families would be forced to drop mortgages.
This bill is needed to ensure that our members can continue to strengthen our economy and contribute to our communities.
###