Editorial: Boycott has made its point

Saturday, April 29, 2006 | 7:28 a.m.

In December most members of the House were pleased after approving a bill to criminalize undocumented workers. We wonder how pleased they are now, looking ahead to Monday when a national boycott by immigrant workers may take place.

As we see it, the workers have already made their point.

Here in Las Vegas, casino managers and the Culinary Union are pleading with the workers to stay on the job.

At most casinos Monday, petitions will be available for employees to sign in support of compassionate immigration reform, petitions that some of gaming's top executives have already signed.

Other offerings by casinos include T-shirts and postcards to Congress with the same message. Additionally, the union is staging a rally Monday evening at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas.

Certainly these efforts are a validation of the workers' statement, that they are crucial to the economy of this nation.

It will be up to the workers whether to support the boycott, but we hope they do not.

We believe just the threat of a boycott has underscored the reality of immigration reform. A final bill that offers the country's 11 million undocumented workers a chance to live here permanently as citizens is the only way to go.