ckaihatsu
16th May 2008, 00:17
[laborcoalition] Cold as ICE: Union busting by La Migra
Taken from a local green party listserve.
ICE smashes union organizing efforts; probe into labor law violation
Posted by: "Duane Roberts" [email protected]
duaneroberts92804
Thu May 15, 2008 1:31 am (PDT)
Lookie here! That massive raid at Agriprocessors Inc., an Iowa meatpacking plant, by dozens of heavily-armed federal immigration officers, not only just happened to take place during a time when the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) was making a serious effort to organize workers into a union, but it occurred right smack in the midst of a probe that State of Iowa was conducting into alleged labor law violations:
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080513/ NEWS/805130406/ -1/politics
And of the 390 workers taken into custody so far by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), approximately 125 of them have been slapped with "felony charges" such as "aggravated identity theft and misuse of social security numbers," offenses punishable by anywhere from two to five years in one of Uncle Sammy's finest federal dungeons:
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080514/ NEWS/80514030
Gee, isn't it interesting how federal immigration agents that are supposed to be protecting us from terrorists who hijack commercial airliners and slam them into skyscrapers are now spending most of their time smashing labor union organizing efforts on behalf of big meatpackers and criminalizing hundreds of workers who committed that dastardly crime of trying to feed their families?
Sincerely,
Duane J. Roberts
[email protected] yahoo.com
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080513/ NEWS/805130406/ -1/politics
The Des Moines Register (Iowa)
May 13, 2008
Immigration raid: Union fears action hurts probe
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
[email protected] com
A union trying to organize Postville meatpacking workers had asked federal immigration authorities earlier this month not to raid the Agriprocessors Inc. plant while a government investigation of possible labor law violations was under way.
Mark Lauritsen, international vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, wrote a May 2 letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, advising officials of an ongoing labor dispute at the Postville plant.
Lauritsen said he was concerned that any potential ICE action could have a "chilling effect" on the existing work force, which has reported some Agriprocessors workplace violations in the past. In addition, ICE action could result in employees leaving the plant, interfering with a government investigation that would "ultimately uncover unscrupulous employer acts," he said.
The union had been trying to organize the plant's nonunion workers for collective-bargaini ng purposes, said Jill Cashen, a UFCW spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. Union leaders had alerted state and federal labor officials to allegations Agriprocessors was exploiting underage workers and paying them off the books, she said Monday.
Now that hundreds of Agriprocessors employees have been taken into custody, "how can justice ever be served on these exploitation issues?" Cashen asked
Lauritsen said employers at other workplaces where his union had been organizing have abused ICE's actions not only to intimidate employees before a National Labor Relations Board election, but also to blame the union for immigration actions.
"With these labor disputes in progress, we urge you to suspend any potentially existing enforcement efforts and refuse to be involved in this labor dispute in accordance with the internal guidance, 'Questioning Persons During Labor Disputes,' " Lauritsen wrote. He said ICE participation had the potential to deprive the workers of their guaranteed protected rights.
ICE spokesman Tim Counts said that the raid "was conducted in full compliance with ICE policies and procedures."
Iowa Labor Commissioner Dave Neil confirmed a state investigation of possible labor law violations at the Agriprocessors plant was under way. The probe involved alleged violations of wage and child labor laws, he said. "I can't really get into the specifics," he said.
Taken from a local green party listserve.
ICE smashes union organizing efforts; probe into labor law violation
Posted by: "Duane Roberts" [email protected]
duaneroberts92804
Thu May 15, 2008 1:31 am (PDT)
Lookie here! That massive raid at Agriprocessors Inc., an Iowa meatpacking plant, by dozens of heavily-armed federal immigration officers, not only just happened to take place during a time when the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) was making a serious effort to organize workers into a union, but it occurred right smack in the midst of a probe that State of Iowa was conducting into alleged labor law violations:
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080513/ NEWS/805130406/ -1/politics
And of the 390 workers taken into custody so far by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), approximately 125 of them have been slapped with "felony charges" such as "aggravated identity theft and misuse of social security numbers," offenses punishable by anywhere from two to five years in one of Uncle Sammy's finest federal dungeons:
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080514/ NEWS/80514030
Gee, isn't it interesting how federal immigration agents that are supposed to be protecting us from terrorists who hijack commercial airliners and slam them into skyscrapers are now spending most of their time smashing labor union organizing efforts on behalf of big meatpackers and criminalizing hundreds of workers who committed that dastardly crime of trying to feed their families?
Sincerely,
Duane J. Roberts
[email protected] yahoo.com
http://www.desmoine sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=
/20080513/ NEWS/805130406/ -1/politics
The Des Moines Register (Iowa)
May 13, 2008
Immigration raid: Union fears action hurts probe
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
[email protected] com
A union trying to organize Postville meatpacking workers had asked federal immigration authorities earlier this month not to raid the Agriprocessors Inc. plant while a government investigation of possible labor law violations was under way.
Mark Lauritsen, international vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, wrote a May 2 letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, advising officials of an ongoing labor dispute at the Postville plant.
Lauritsen said he was concerned that any potential ICE action could have a "chilling effect" on the existing work force, which has reported some Agriprocessors workplace violations in the past. In addition, ICE action could result in employees leaving the plant, interfering with a government investigation that would "ultimately uncover unscrupulous employer acts," he said.
The union had been trying to organize the plant's nonunion workers for collective-bargaini ng purposes, said Jill Cashen, a UFCW spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. Union leaders had alerted state and federal labor officials to allegations Agriprocessors was exploiting underage workers and paying them off the books, she said Monday.
Now that hundreds of Agriprocessors employees have been taken into custody, "how can justice ever be served on these exploitation issues?" Cashen asked
Lauritsen said employers at other workplaces where his union had been organizing have abused ICE's actions not only to intimidate employees before a National Labor Relations Board election, but also to blame the union for immigration actions.
"With these labor disputes in progress, we urge you to suspend any potentially existing enforcement efforts and refuse to be involved in this labor dispute in accordance with the internal guidance, 'Questioning Persons During Labor Disputes,' " Lauritsen wrote. He said ICE participation had the potential to deprive the workers of their guaranteed protected rights.
ICE spokesman Tim Counts said that the raid "was conducted in full compliance with ICE policies and procedures."
Iowa Labor Commissioner Dave Neil confirmed a state investigation of possible labor law violations at the Agriprocessors plant was under way. The probe involved alleged violations of wage and child labor laws, he said. "I can't really get into the specifics," he said.