After more than two months, GOP members began criticizing the U.S. Department of Labor for promoting fair wage campaign for all workers, including illegal workers
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 24, 2010
Washington, D.C. - In April, Hilda Solis, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the "We Can Help" campaign to assure all workers in the country are treated fairly and do get their wages as required by federal law. The DOL added 250 field investigators to conduct investigations of unfair wage payments to U.S. workers, including illegal workers.
It's illegal for employers to hire undocumented workers in the U.S., but if hired by companies they are guaranteed fair wages and protected as workers under federal law.
On Wednesday after more than two months since the DOL wage fairness campaign began, several Republicans in Capitol Hill, U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (R-Texas), Jason Chaffer (R-Utah) and Steve King (R-Iowa) began raising questions and say they are shocked the campaign by the DOL is offering Illegal workers assistance and help in filing complaints with the Wage and Hour Division against employers taking advantage of them and paying them less than other workers.
Solis says, "legal or not" that all "workers do have the right to fair wages," despite members from the GOP who belief that the DOL shouldn't be using resources helping illegal workers against U.S. employers.
In a written statement to FoxNews.com, the DOL defended their campaign by saying, "through Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Labor has consistently held that the country's minimum wage and overtime law protects workers regardless of their immigration status."
FoxNews.com reported that Rep. Chaffetz wanted to know why taxpayers are being asked to spend money to ensure that illegals get assistance for fair wages while millions of unemployed Americans struggle to find jobs. "That's insane," Chaffetz said, "That's just unbelievable."
Rep. King told FoxNews.com, it's "an explicit invitation for illegal immigrants to bring the resources and power of the Department of Labor to bear against American employers."
Recently, Rep. King came under criticism after telling members of Congress, people have the ability of a natural "six sense" to identify illegal immigrants. Critics and Democrats say, yeah it's called racial profiling.
FoxNews.com reported that Rep. Poe found the DOL bilingual campaign "We Can Help," "astounding" in an era of double-digit unemployment, the Department of Labor would spend time and "our taxpayer money worrying about fair wages for individuals who are in our country illegally." (Unemployment is between 10 to 17% in some states, the DOL officially reported unemployment at 9.7%)
Last April "We Can Help" press release by the DOL and Solis said the following statements. "I'm here to tell you that your president, your secretary of labor and this department will not allow anyone to be denied his or her rightful pay - especially when so many in our nation are working long, hard and often dangerous hours... We can help and we will help. If you work in this country, you are protected by our laws. And you can count on the U.S. Department of Labor to see to it that those protections work for you," Solis stated.
U.S. Department of Labor April 1st press release, "We Can Help" campaign for fair wages link: http://bit.ly/beGez8
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By H. Nelson Goodson
June 24, 2010
Washington, D.C. - In April, Hilda Solis, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the "We Can Help" campaign to assure all workers in the country are treated fairly and do get their wages as required by federal law. The DOL added 250 field investigators to conduct investigations of unfair wage payments to U.S. workers, including illegal workers.
It's illegal for employers to hire undocumented workers in the U.S., but if hired by companies they are guaranteed fair wages and protected as workers under federal law.
On Wednesday after more than two months since the DOL wage fairness campaign began, several Republicans in Capitol Hill, U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (R-Texas), Jason Chaffer (R-Utah) and Steve King (R-Iowa) began raising questions and say they are shocked the campaign by the DOL is offering Illegal workers assistance and help in filing complaints with the Wage and Hour Division against employers taking advantage of them and paying them less than other workers.
Solis says, "legal or not" that all "workers do have the right to fair wages," despite members from the GOP who belief that the DOL shouldn't be using resources helping illegal workers against U.S. employers.
In a written statement to FoxNews.com, the DOL defended their campaign by saying, "through Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Labor has consistently held that the country's minimum wage and overtime law protects workers regardless of their immigration status."
FoxNews.com reported that Rep. Chaffetz wanted to know why taxpayers are being asked to spend money to ensure that illegals get assistance for fair wages while millions of unemployed Americans struggle to find jobs. "That's insane," Chaffetz said, "That's just unbelievable."
Rep. King told FoxNews.com, it's "an explicit invitation for illegal immigrants to bring the resources and power of the Department of Labor to bear against American employers."
Recently, Rep. King came under criticism after telling members of Congress, people have the ability of a natural "six sense" to identify illegal immigrants. Critics and Democrats say, yeah it's called racial profiling.
FoxNews.com reported that Rep. Poe found the DOL bilingual campaign "We Can Help," "astounding" in an era of double-digit unemployment, the Department of Labor would spend time and "our taxpayer money worrying about fair wages for individuals who are in our country illegally." (Unemployment is between 10 to 17% in some states, the DOL officially reported unemployment at 9.7%)
Last April "We Can Help" press release by the DOL and Solis said the following statements. "I'm here to tell you that your president, your secretary of labor and this department will not allow anyone to be denied his or her rightful pay - especially when so many in our nation are working long, hard and often dangerous hours... We can help and we will help. If you work in this country, you are protected by our laws. And you can count on the U.S. Department of Labor to see to it that those protections work for you," Solis stated.
U.S. Department of Labor April 1st press release, "We Can Help" campaign for fair wages link: http://bit.ly/beGez8
Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile
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