As New York Teacher went to press, a union-backed bill to combat human trafficking passed both houses of the state Legislature and was awaiting the governor’s expected signature.

The legislation makes Sex Trafficking and Labor Trafficking felony-level crimes and provides access to state social services for trafficking victims.

NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin thanked Gov. Spitzer for his leadership on the issue. The deal, which came a day after the arrest of a wealthy Long Island couple on charges of enslaving two Indonesian housekeepers, was among the first achievements from public negotiating sessions convened by Spitzer in May.

Delegates to NYSUT's annual convention in April unanimously adopted a Civil and Human Rights resolution calling for the union to join the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition to press for anti-human trafficking legislation in New York. NYSUT labor relations specialist Ken Franzblau, a former lawyer for Equality Now (which began the lobbying effort), brought the issue to the union’s social justice agenda more than a year ago, Lubin said. Each year thousands of people are brought into the United States - often through New York  to be used for forced labor, involuntary domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. Many victims are children, Lubin said. Yet New York has lagged behind two dozen other states in enacting laws to go after the traffickers and help their victims.

"Human trafficking is a devastating human rights violation that's happening right here in New York state, not just in Third World countries," Lubin said. "This new law will hold traffickers accountable and help victims rebuild their lives."

NYSUT's resolution

Delegates to NYSUT's annual convention in April unanimously adopted the following Civil and Human Rights resolution calling for the union to join the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition to press for anti-human trafficking legislation in New York.

Resolution #6

SUPPORT FOR ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION

Submitted by: Monticello Teachers Association

Whereas, human trafficking is a modern form of slavery that targets and exploits the world's most vulnerable and oppressed people, overwhelmingly women and children; and

Whereas, the victims of human trafficking are subjected to the most brutal and degrading forms of labor and sexual exploitation that often result in long periods of indenture, physical and emotional injuries, disease and death of the victim; and

Whereas, the International Labor Organization estimates that 2,450,000 people are trafficked every year for the purposes of labor exploitation or sexual exploitation; and

Whereas, the trafficking of human beings for labor exploitation and sexual exploitation has been estimated by the International Labor Organization to generate in excess of $28 billion per year in illicit profits for human traffickers; and

Whereas, the United States Department of State estimated that between 14,000 and 17, 000 people are trafficked into the United States every year by "severe" forms of trafficking which include force, fraud or coercion; and

Whereas, human trafficking violates the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution and various international agreements including but not limited to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons; and

Whereas, 22 states have already enacted legislation to address the human rights abuse of human trafficking and that the United States Department of Justice has recommended that every state enact anti-human trafficking legislation; and

Whereas, for the past two years, the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition has endeavored without success to have the State of New York pass anti-human trafficking legislation; be it therefore

Resolved, that NYSUT join the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition and work with the member organizations to achieve the passage of effective anti-human trafficking legislation in New York, and be it further

Resolved, that such anti-trafficking legislation should contain a comprehensive definition of human trafficking that will address the myriad methods used by human traffickers to obtain and control trafficking victims, provide meaningful penalties that reflect the serious harm caused by human traffickers and that will serve to deter potential offenders in the face of huge potential profits, addressing the demand that drives the trafficking of person for sexual exploitation by raising the penalty on those who patronize illegal commercial sex (especially underage prostitution) and who operate sex tours, containing a defense for victims of human trafficking so that it is not the victim who is arrested and prosecuted and the provision of comprehensive immigration and social services to assist trafficking survivors in their rehabilitation, and be it further

Resolved, that NYSUT encourage the active participation of other unions and labor organizations with which it is affiliated to support anti-human trafficking legislation in New York, and be it further

Resolved, that NYSUT encourage the support of anti-human trafficking legislation in New York among its 575,000 members.