The Construction Industry Employee Verification Act is Bad for Workers; Bad for Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA (Thursday, September 26, 2019)- Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Senate voted  against workers by supporting the Construction Industry Employee Verification Act, commonly known as E-verify. The legislation forces employers to utilize a highly discredited employee verification program and will result in lay-offs and firings at construction firms across the state.

“It’s outrageous that the Pennsylvania General Assembly has turned its back on working families by moving forward a discriminatory bill that targets the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Thais Carrero, Pennsylvania Director of CASA.

“We are disappointed and disgusted that Senators who said they stand with immigrant communities would pass such a horrifying anti-immigrant bill. This action will only hurt PA working families and the constituents that these Senators are supposed to represent,” said Maegan Llerena, Director of Make the Road Pennsylvania.

The legislation passed both chambers despite overwhelming evidence that the policy undermines workplace rights as undocumented workers are pushed further into the shadows and unscrupulous employers use the law to threaten workers from organizing for better working conditions. E-verify will also affect documented workers and DACAmented employees who have authorization to work in this country. According to a 2012 federal review, six percent of cases in which employees were denied work clearance cases were due to a system error.

CASA and Make the Road Pennsylvania call on Governor Wolf to veto this legislation and instead focus on real working family priorities like raising the minimum wage.

Make the Road Pennsylvania builds power for justice in Latinx communities with Organizing centers in Allentown, Reading and Northeast Philadelphia.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Ashleigh Strange
https://www.maketheroadpa.org//

---