Drawing on the legacy of the civil rights movement, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union today responded to the plight of undocumented workers in the fearful environment of post- 9/11 America by launching the Immigrant Workers' Freedom Ride. The Freedom Ride will link immigrant workers, union leaders, and activists with civil rights leaders in a nation-wide campaign to gain greater workplace protections for undocumented immigrants, amnesty for those currently in the US, and family reunification rights for all immigrants. Plans call for bus-riders from eight major cities to converge on Washington, DC, to lobby Congress, holding rallies along the way that will culminate in a huge rally in New York City after leaving Washington---all while supporters hold rallies across the country.
See "Unions set new freedom ride for immigrant workers", T. SHAWN TAYLOR, Chicago Tribune, February 26, 2003