www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/NEWS01/604110328/1120/RSS
Immigrants' firing leads to protest
15 women lose jobs after attending rally; manager says they were warned
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

April 11, 2006



Activists wait to see the owner of the Wolverine Packing Co. in Detroit on Monday. Speaking with Elena Herrada are, from left, Ignacio Meneses, Rosendo Delgado and company worker Steve Reppenhagen. (MARY SCHROEDER/Detroit Free Press)

A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest.

But the workers and an activist working on their behalf said the women were given no such assurances. If the workers knew they would have been fired for attending the March 27 rally in Detroit, they never would have skipped the morning shift, said Elena Herrada, a Detroit activist who is trying to help the women get their jobs back.

Herrada and about 20 union officials went Monday to Wolverine Packing Co. offices on Rivard to inquire about what happened. They were given a letter signed by general manager Jay Bonahoom, explaining why the workers were terminated.

Meanwhile Monday, marches were held in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and other cities to protest proposed changes in immigration rules. On Sunday, hundreds gathered at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Detroit.

Some of the Wolverine workers were undocumented, Herrada and one of the workers said, and wanted to march in the Detroit rally to show their support for immigrant rights.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly Latinos, protested legislation that would make it a crime to help undocumented immigrants. The next morning, when the women reported to work for their shifts as meat cutters, a supervisor told them to clean out their lockers and go home.

Bonahoom said that as far as Wolverine knows, the workers were documented, but an employment agency does the actual hiring. He said the workers had been told, "written and verbally," on the Friday before the protests that their attendance was mandatory on the day of the protest.

They were fired "for standing up for their rights," Herrada said.
The fired workers were natives of Mexico and many had worked at the plant for several years. Most have children and are worried about supporting their families, Herrada said.

Many were employed by Minuteman Staffing. So when Wolverine wanted to fire the workers, the meatpacking company told Minuteman to let go of the workers, he said. A manager with Minuteman said he couldn't comment on the case.

But the workers say they were treated wrongly.

"It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used.
"It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development.


They are illegal, They have no fucking rights
Fair???, fair would be if the INS reads this and hauls your ass back to Mehico

This company also needs an audit for turning a blind eye to these illegals

This shit is really bad for my blood pressure

Im shocked, really. hock.gif

Good for the company.

I piss on those rotten criminals

Bet the employer will get fined for employing undocumented workers.

What fucking rights do they think they have? If some one breaks into my house and moves in the fucker has no rights they will be carted off to jail if they survive my attack. Why should these illegal aliens be any different? Oh by the way when did we stop calling them Illegal Aliens and start calling them undocumented emigrants?

Alvin

Quoted: A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest. "It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used. "It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development.

And if the Southern Poverty Law Center hears of this - those fucking illegal aliens may end up OWNING that meatpacking company.



My fellow Americans - the inmates are truly running the asylum.

here's hoping the business holds firm

Quoted: Quoted: A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest. "It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used. "It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development. And if the Southern Poverty Law Center hears of this - those fucking illegal aliens may end up OWNING that meatpacking company. My fellow Americans - the inmates are truly running the asylum.

What needs to happen is that scofflaws that EMPLOY these people need to go to FEDERAL PRISON

But, the laws don't apply to rich people, either, I s'pose.

And the problem is?

They skipped work and were fired.  Tough shit.

They were crying on the news as one locally  famous  fast food place cleaned house and fired everybody that went to the protests  it was a fair amount of people and the majority of his workers

Ill go eat there more often

Quoted: They were crying on the news as one locally  famous  fast food place cleaned house and fired everybody that went to the protests  it was a fair amount of people and the majority of his workers Ill go eat there more often

Find out if the people were illegals.  If so, you shouldn't eat there anyway.

So, Minuteman Staffing knowingly hires illegal aliens.

Of course, the meatpacker undoubtedly knew they were illegal, but he has a level of plausible deniability, as he will argue that his contract is with Minuteman Staffing, not the individuals they employ.

What a sick situation.

Quoted: Quoted: They were crying on the news as one locally  famous  fast food place cleaned house and fired everybody that went to the protests  it was a fair amount of people and the majority of his workers Ill go eat there more often Find out if the people were illegals.  If so, you shouldn't eat there anyway.

according to the paper they were not  wanted to go for solidarity

I get a kick out of how the media and the libtards call them "immigrant rights".  They don't have rights if they are illegal.  If they called it what it really was, they would be refered as immigrant violations.

Quoted: Quoted: A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest. "It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used. "It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development. And if the Southern Poverty Law Center hears of this - those fucking illegal aliens may end up OWNING that meatpacking company. My fellow Americans - the inmates are truly running the asylum.

No they won't, when you are a contract employee for an agency on a company project, the company can tell the contractor your services are no longer required for any reason and there is nothing you can do about it.  

Hey! Welcome to a society built on FREE ENTERPRISE

You don't like it, tough! Go complain to your congressman who won't even consider your complaint if you're not a voter..

I love it!

NO SE PUEDE!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest. "It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used. "It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development. And if the Southern Poverty Law Center hears of this - those fucking illegal aliens may end up OWNING that meatpacking company. My fellow Americans - the inmates are truly running the asylum. No they won't, when you are a contract employee for an agency on a company project, the company can tell the contractor your services are no longer required for any reason and there is nothing you can do about it.

Your puny logic is powerless against the forces of Liberal Legalism!

See you in court Mr. Meatpacker! MUHAAA-HAAAA-HAAAA!!!

Quoted: Quoted: A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest. "It was not fair,'" said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used. "It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development. And if the Southern Poverty Law Center hears of this - those fucking illegal aliens may end up OWNING that meatpacking company. My fellow Americans - the inmates are truly running the asylum.

That Nailed it!!!!!!!!!!

Fuck Um!

We need a bigger fence! I am all for the immigrant protests. Let them all congregate in the street. Then sent in the police/military and check IDs to weed out all illegals. Then give all the "undocumented" workers a free trip to ole mehico. When the police/military do the same for the pro gun owner protests, then I will have a problem. At least that is a few years in the future. I hope!

tagged

HAHA

I cried like Nancy Kerigan  

Quoted: Im shocked, really.

Nothing shocks me.  That includes when I called INS to redeport "Pepe Lopez" for his violent felony crime of Rape 2nd.  It seems that INS employees have bigger donuts to eat bigger fish to fry.  I can't imagine what those fish would be....

Lawsuit pending. Workers will settle out of court for 5 mil

Tough shit amigos

Quoted: What fucking rights do they think they have? If some one breaks into my house and moves in the fucker has no rights they will be carted off to jail if they survive my attack. Why should these illegal aliens be any different? Oh by the way when did we stop calling them Illegal Aliens and start calling them undocumented emigrants? Alvin

Not to be a spelling or english nazi, But we never called them illegal emigrants, its immagrints.  But we stopped calling them illegal to appease the liberal left.  And trekkies were getting pissed that we were using the term aliens too losely.

Quoted: Quoted: What fucking rights do they think they have? If some one breaks into my house and moves in the fucker has no rights they will be carted off to jail if they survive my attack. Why should these illegal aliens be any different? Oh by the way when did we stop calling them Illegal Aliens and start calling them undocumented emigrants? Alvin Not to be a spelling or english nazi, But we never called them illegal emigrants, its immagrints. Immigrants  But we stopped calling them illegal to appease the liberal left.  And trekkies were getting pissed that we were using the term aliens too losely[/s] .

Not to be a spelling nazi nazi But its immigrants
Thats why no one should be a spelling nazi
ETA
loosely

Bite the hand that feed yeah....they got what they deserve.


TG

Quoted:  And trekkies were getting pissed that we were using the term aliens too losely.

Too funny...

Good thing that the trekkies would never leave their keyboards or convention to protest.

Quoted: Not to be a spelling or english nazi, But we never called them illegal emigrants, its immagrints.  But we stopped calling them illegal to appease the liberal left.  And trekkies were getting pissed that we were using the term aliens too losely.

I suppose the Mexican gov't could call them illegal emigrants, since they have emigrated FROM Mexico.

Good, they should have been fired.

As I was reading the paper last night I was wondering what all those people did for a living because they certainly weren't at work earning their keep.

Lazy bastards.

Use the NRA-ILA contact line and EMAIL all in Washington.
The one they get the most mail or email from will win!
If you do nothing that is what you will get!

GOOD!

Some companies have a policy that states missing work on before or after a 3 day weekend is grounds for not getting paid for the day off.   If they were warned then I say fuck em

wait until the goddamn ACLU decides to jump into this one.


let's hope the company doesn't give in or settle out of court

After sleeping on this I realized it is total bullshit . I mean for fucks sake these poor immigrants are just doing the protests we Americans wont do .

Quoted: Bet the employer will get fined for employing undocumented workers.

He should be fined. If they stop hiring these fucking illegals they won't have a reason to come here.

Quoted: Quoted: Bet the employer will get fined for employing undocumented workers. He should be fined. If they stop hiring these fucking illegals they won't have a reason to come here.

Exactly.
Hit the company hard and send the wetbacks packing.
"It's the only way to be sure."

Quoted: And the problem is? They skipped work and were fired.  WELCOME TO AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!! Tough shit.

fixed it.