Why the Prevailing Wage is Key to Immigration Reform

It boils down to this: Workers in America should be paid the same wage for the same work.

The AFL-CIO agrees and so does the US Chamber of Commerce. So last Friday, the two groups – who often find themselves on opposite sides of the immigration reform debate – forged an agreement on a new kind of worker visa program, called the W-Visa, for lower-skilled workers in industries like hospitality and construction. Visa levels would rise and fall in concert with unemployment, labor shortages and other economic factors. Immigrant workers will have the opportunity to switch jobs and self-petition for permanent status, if they wish. W-Visa holders would have strong worker protections.

And, most importantly, W-Visa holders would be paid fairly. Workers would either be paid the actual wage level that employees with similar experience and qualifications receive, or the prevailing wage level for their occupational category of work – whichever is greater.

“One of the problems in our economy is wages being cut on a constant basis, including trying to use immigrant workers to cut wage rates rather than lift them up,” said CWA President Larry Cohen on The Ed Schultz Show. “So I think that’s the single most important thing about Friday is keeping prevailing wage in there. And that helps people who are unemployed, who live here now, regardless where they come from. It also helps people who come here so they don’t end up in just some sweatshop, where they’re sinking to the bottom as well.”

Currently, too many corporations are happy to hire armies of low-wage immigrant workers to replace American workers. These workers are vulnerable to exploitation, as employers cut corners to pad their bottom line. This practice results is dismal wages and unsafe work conditions for everyone – regardless of citizenship status.

“The way you break that is, mainly, to insist on prevailing wage for all jobs and police it,” Cohen said.

Listen to the full interview here: