Workers Without Borders

Laws on immigration are weak obstacles against the companies tempted by cheap labor or workers desperate for a better life. Attempting strict limits, imposing a fear of deportation and an unwillingness to report unfair conditions, the US system depresses wages and work conditions for all workers – citizens and legal and illegal immigrants alike – argues law professor Jennifer Gordon in an opinion essay for the New York Times. “The solution lies in greater mobility for migrants and a new emphasis on workers’ rights,” she explains, detailing a transnational labor plan that would supply companies with employees, encourage mobility that supplies areas of need and create incentives for workers to report abusive conditions. Gordon concludes, “Like it or not, until we address the vast inequalities across the globe, those who want to migrate will find a way.” – YaleGlobal