Dr. Steven Volk, an Oberlin College Professor Emeritus of History, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about his recent op-ed article discussing the vilification of immigrant workers and the misrepresentation of workers who aren’t American-born.
Volk recently penned an op-ed for Cleveland.com that talked about the need to honor, not vilify, immigrant workers, and why the recent events in Baltimore have amplified the discussion. Volk discussed why it’s important to give respect to the workers and not immediately treat them as a problem. Throughout history, the labor movement has been helped by immigrant workers who have taken on the more dangerous and demanding jobs in the construction, distribution and production industries, he said.
For Volk, it’s difficult to see these immigrant workers being misrepresented as a problem when their work is vital to daily life. He discussed many incidents that have occurred in recent years where immigrant workers have been disregarded. However, it’s not a new issue, Volk talked about the history of immigrant workers being dismissed going back to the early days of America, but the plight of immigrant workers has been assisted through the protections offered by unions.
Finally, Volk discussed the misclassification of immigrant workers who were granted access to work in the United States through various legal processes. These workers are working to prop up the current economy in America., he said, and warned that if Americans aren’t careful, the misrepresentation of these immigrants and their roles could eventually be detrimental to the American economy.
To hear more about Volk’s op-ed, listen to the show above.