New York, NY - New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez today stood with United States Senator Chuck Schumer, 32BJ SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Kyle Bragg, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, immigrant rights organizations, and representatives of the business community to call for the House of Representatives to take action on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR).

During the event, President Alvarez released the following statement:
"We are here today, on the one year anniversary of the United States Senate's passage of CIR, and as of yet, the measure remains unpassed by the House. For an entire year, the 8 million undocumented immigrants, who comprise 5% of the national workforce, have been placed in limbo while House Republicans have opted for inaction. We cannot wait another day for immigration reform.

'All over our city, working people are struggling to make ends meet.  Income disparities in New York City have reached historic levels, and this issue is only complicated by the number of undocumented families who have no real path to citizenship. Deportations divide families, they shatter dreams, and they perpetuate a cycle of poverty.  

'The rights of working people are consistently under attack, and undocumented workers fare much worse.  These working men and women face the same financial challenges as the rest of us, and they are often the targets of unscrupulous, greedy employers, seeking to take advantage of their workers every chance they get.  Stolen wages, stolen hours, and unpredictable scheduling hurt all workers, but they disproportionately affect undocumented immigrants.

'Whether these men and women are car wash workers, airport workers, construction workers, or members of any other industry, it is up to us to hold our elected leaders accountable for enacting a real path to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants."