Hispanic Immigration Issues Discussed at Carrboro Forum

About 60 people from the area were in attendance at the Carrboro Century Center, listening to speakers expound on issues important to Hispanic immigrants.

The speakers came from different organizations such as the National Immigration Law Center, the N.C. Community Justice Center, the N.C. Occupational Safety and Health Project and the N.C. Department of Labor.

Also speaking were Marin, attorney Frank Bricio, governor's office representative Nolo Martinez and Mexican Consul Carolina Zaragosa.

Representatives from immigrant help centers such as El Centro Hispano in Durham and the Episcopal Farm Worker Ministry in Newton Grove made up the largest portion of the audience.

Child-care networks, immigrant workers, and businesses like Weaver Street Market and Bojangles also sat in.

Herrera, president of the Latino Community Development Center, said one of the program's main goals was educating immigrant workers and employers about the concept of overtime pay.

He said most foreign countries do not share the U.S. law of time-and-a-half pay for every hour worked beyond 40 per week. Nancy Truit from the N.C. Department of Labor addressed this topic during the program.

Carol Brooke of the N.C. Community Justice Center spoke on the precedents set by the Hoffman Plastic court case.

She explained that workers fired unfairly or discriminated against are still entitled to back pay, which is continued payment from old employers until the workers find a new job.

Brooke's main concern was educating the audience about the rights of immigrant workers. "The general sense is that immigrant workers don't have legal rights, and that's not true," she said. "I think the program was beneficial in dispelling those rumors."

Herrera also was pleased that the program spoke to both immigrant employees and employers.

"This is the first time employers and advocates came together to protect workers' rights," he said.

One point Herrera hoped the program conveyed is that immigrant labor is essential to small business in the United States.

"Small business is the heart and soul of this country, and it can't operate without immigrant labor," he said.

Herrera also wanted to make people aware of the fact that many immigrant workers are undocumented.

"Thirty-seven percent of agriculture in the U.S. is being performed by undocumented immigrants," he said.

Marin addressed the group about the "Partnership for Prosperity" program, a joint effort between the United States and Mexico to lower the costs of remittance transfers, or wire transfers by increasing the competition in that market. Herrera said the program saves Mexicans an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion per year.

Herrera said the program was beneficial to the welfare of this population.

"We don't want these kind of abuses happening in the work place," he said.

"With these kinds of programs, the state is taking the high road in training local businesses."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.