There is no doubt that it is the enemies of working people everywhere that have been whipping up this frenzy of hatred against immigrant workers. They use false economic arguments, racism, and all kinds of baiting and lies. While the leaders of this reactionary movement never support any laws that would promote workers' rights on or off the job, they spread claims that foreign workers are "taking away jobs" from workers born in the United States, and pretend that concern for US workers motivates their attacks on foreign-born workers. Don't be fooled by this nonsense!

The increased number of foreign-born workers in the United States is a fact, but it is not a problem. No crisis exists, except the crisis that the reactionaries and racists are trying to create for political gain. Over the last three centuries, the number of foreign-born workers has gone up and down many times in response to economic conditions, and sometimes in response to foreign wars or disasters. The net effect on our economy has never been negative. More than 90% of our population is descended from refugees and economic immigrants.

The key to progress for workers in wages, working conditions and defence of our rights is not to divide workers between immigrants and "natives," or between races, or between sexes, or between languages, or between "legal" and "illegal." The key is unity. When workers stick together, they can win anything. That is because workers produce everything, including all the wealth of the billionaires and their corporations.

The Peace and Freedom Party opposes all efforts to divide and defeat workers. We take strong stands for labor rights. We would like to see the minimum wage doubled as a first step, and work for useful jobs at union pay levels for everyone who can work (with a guaranteed dignified income for those who cannot work). We defend workers' rights to organize, boycott and strike - - and we want to outlaw scabbing (the replacement of striking workers). We propose ensuring that international agreements guarantee the protection of workers and democratic rights in all participating countries. We call for ending deportations of immigrants. We demand full political, social and economic rights for immigrants.

~ a speech by John Crockford
Journey for Justice
IWW Free Speech Area
Fresno, CA 15-April-2006