Union officials — particularly those seeking to represent low-skilled employees — have a problem with the immigration issue. Certainly that is true for SEIU, which seems to enjoy the idea of illegal immigration. It’s also true for UFCW, which has seen one of its own organizers arrested for harboring illegal aliens.

But now into the picture steps well-paid UFCW president Joe Hansen. Joe is not a lawyer. Nor, apparently, is he much of a philosopher. At a conference bemoaning efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, Hansen said:

Work is not a crime. Workers are not criminals.

Apparently there’s some disconnect, so let’s break it down. The crime isn’t the work. He’s right so far. But it is a crime to be in a country illegally. So, the statement is wrong, and meaningless.

Platitudes won’t get it done, whether it’s on the immigration issue or any other than labor leaders say they want to solve.