California Senate Democrats vote to support May 1 2006 work boycott

Since 04-30-06

By STEVEN HARMON

San Jose Mercury News

Apr. 28, 2006

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/14450945.htm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Some Democratic state lawmakers are planning to walk off the job in California on Monday -- just as millions of others around the country are expected to -- in support of immigrants' rights.

The California Senate, controlled by Democrats, approved a resolution on a party-line vote supporting the May 1 "Great American Boycott 2006," which supporters say will serve as a warning to Congress to avoid punitive immigration changes.

Organizers say the workplace boycott will show just how vital immigrants are to America's major cities and the nation's economy. Large numbers of students are also expected to participate.

"These immigrants are fighting to embrace this nation," said Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys. "What a good time this is when people can express their anger, their frustration, desires, hopes and dreams, all for the purpose of becoming American. That's a good thing."

Republicans voted unanimously against the resolution, saying it encourages lawlessness.

"The Legislature should not be encouraging students to leave school," said Southern California Sen. Dave Cox. "And it's irresponsible to recommend to people they leave their jobs, especially when many can lose those jobs, whether they obtained them illegally or not."

This week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, also implored people to avoid the boycott.

Not all Democrats backed the resolution to support the boycott. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, refused to take up the Senate resolution and allowed his chamber's own resolution, which would have called on Congress to support immigrants' rights, to die.

Still, Nunez plans to fly to Los Angeles to take part in marches after he checks in at the Assembly.

"When you're with thousands of your constituents, and you're talking about the very issues at the forefront of their concerns, I think you're being an effective legislator," said Steve Maviglio, Nunez's deputy chief of staff.

Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, who wrote the resolution, said the boycott will be part of history that will one day be recounted in classrooms across the country.

"It's one day out of 365, out of their lives, for immigrants to peacefully tell the country that we matter, we want justice," she said.