What a Shock. Business Supports Amnesty
There's nothing better for the average working stiff than a tight labor market. Wages and benefits go up. As proven following the "raids" at some meat plants, the employers raised wages and got legal workers. So, we're surprised that business supports every menas to bring in and maintain a large pool of CHEAP labor? Why do you think every Chamber of Commerce and business group in this country supports amnesties?
Texas business leaders are pressuring the state's Republican senators to back the immigration reform bill now being debated in the Senate.
A coalition of Texas businesses published an open letter to Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn in Thursday's editions of The Dallas Morning News, to "express the urgency in supporting passage of comprehensive immigration reform."
"We hope both Republican senators from Texas would get behind this bill. We think it's a unique opportunity and we need to finish the job," said Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business and a board member of Texas Employers for Immigration Reform.
The coalition members said the state and national economy would be damaged and businesses would face a labor shortage if Congress doesn't complete work on an immigration bill.
Ahh, labor shortage or CHEAP labor shortage?
The nation's meat and poultry industry employs 500,000 workers, making it the largest sector of agriculture, according to the American Meat Institute. Lately, that work force has gotten a closer look from immigration enforcement officials.
For example, operations at Swift plants in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Utah were suspended for several hours on Dec. 12 while immigration agents arrested more than 1,200 workers. Swift has estimated the financial impact of the raids at up to $50 million. The Greeley, Colo.-based company said it has taken longer than expected to return the beef plants to full operation, resulting in higher costs and lost business.
"Immigration reform legislation now being considered in the Senate is a credible, productive first step and one that deserves full consideration by lawmakers," American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle said in a written statement.
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