Employers joining immigration debate

CLAUDINE LoMONACO

Published: 01.17.2007

Some Arizona business owners say they will no longer be intimidated into silence and are gearing up to speak out about immigration reform.

A new statewide coalition of employers aims to add its voice to the immigration debate.

Sheridan Bailey, a Phoenix steel fabrication business owner, helped start the coalition. He said business owners have been reluctant to speak out on the issue and have allowed groups such as the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps to dominate the discussion.

Businesses need greater access to immigrant labor because there aren't enough U.S.-born workers to fill positions, said Frank Siquieros, who owns Mountain Power, an electrical subcontracting business in Tucson.

Siquieros, who plans to join the coalition, said he has difficulty finding enough skilled workers, even for well-paying electrician positions, and has about half the electricians he needs.

He takes on about 10 to 12 apprentices a year but still cannot meet the needs of his company, he said.

If immigrants were able to come in legally, he said, "they would be able to learn the English language more thoroughly than they do now. Now, it's an underground system and it's hard to train these young people."