Coalition pushes for comprehensive federal immigration reform.
(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Advocates for Oregon business say the first consolidated effort by Oregon employers to promote sensible approaches to immigration reform is officially underway with the launch of the Coalition for a Working Oregon (CWO).
The CWO is comprised of 20 Oregon employer groups who represent well over 300,000 workers. The coalition promotes comprehensive immigration reform on the federal level that ensures Oregon's key industries have access to a necessary workforce to remain competitive.
Jeff Stone of the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) said that having a working system to supply adequate workers to Oregon's key industries is critically important to the state's economic wellbeing. "Immigrant labor is extremely vital to our economy, said Stone.
"Unfortunately, the current system for supplying a legal workforce to employers is broken." Stone added that even though employers are complying with current immigration laws and, in most cases, offering wages well above minimum wage to employees, they are still struggling with securing a legal workforce and keeping their businesses profitable.
Bill Perry with the Oregon Restaurant Association (ORA) said that the Coalition formed out of the concern that harsh and discriminatory immigration reform laws can devastate many of Oregon's key industries. He noted, "A state-by-state patchwork approach to immigration reform will only lead to conflicting laws that will delay real comprehensive reform on the Federal level," and went on to note that states such as Arizona and Oklahoma are already experiencing serious labor supply shortages and economic shortfalls due to hastily passed immigration laws.
CWO plans to undertake a variety of activities to support its goals, including commissioning and publishing an economic study outlining the importance of immigrant labor to the Oregon economy, education, and advocacy efforts. To learn more about the CWO and how you can become involved, please visit the coalition's official website at: oregoncanwork.org.
Members of the CWO include: Agricultural Cooperative Council of Oregon, Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors, Associated Oregon Industries, Associated Oregon Loggers, HBA of Metropolitan Portland, Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, NW Food Processors Association, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Oregon Business Association, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, Oregon Fresh Market Growers Association, Oregon Home Builders Association, Oregon Landscape Contractors Association, Oregon Lodging Association, Oregon Restaurant Association, Oregon Wheat Growers League, Oregon Wine Growers Association, Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Pacific NW Christmas Tree Association and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Affiliated members of the CWO on the national level include: Immigration Works USA and the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.
Coalition for a Working Oregon
Coalition for a Working Oregon (CWO) is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sensible and thoughtful comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level. The CWO is comprised of 20 Oregon employer groups who represent over 300,000 Oregon workers. For more information on CWO, please visit oregoncanwork.org or call (503) 796-3013.
Employers Say Immigrant Labor is Extremely Vital to Oregon's EconomySalem-News.com