What do you think of Swift and ICE now?

Question

http://www.agweekly.com/articles/2006/12/26/news/opinion/opin01.txt

According to this article, Swift was punished by the Department of Homeland Security for testifying to congress about how difficult it is to comply with the law. It is true that if they fire someone without knowing for sure that the person is illegal, they can be sued. Immigration does not answer the phone to tell you if a particular person is legal or not.

Jeffrey C put on a link to the case against Swift for discrimination. Actually the link is a decision on a motion regarding discovery, not the actual decision about discrimination, but If they paid a fine, then that means they were punished for firing illegals. Thanks for the link, now I know Swift was really sued for firing illegals.

Answer 1

I think it was a painful process for them, but necessary, too.
I think if companies really want to save money, if things are SO tight that they flat-out can't find enough workers, can't make payroll, can't pay their taxes, they either need to a) move it on out to some other country where the labor prices are more favorable, or b) let the place go belly-up and call it quits. We've got over 300 million people in our country today, if they can't find enough legal workers among them to fill their positions, I think there's more wrong with the company than just having illegal aliens on the payroll. There's some real fly-by-nighters out there, and they kind of do whatever they think they can get by with...

This issue's a toughie, no easy answers, no fast answers, one question leads to 10 more, hopefully between now and the time they've started having better answers on it, we'll start seeing some more progress in other countries that these people are basically trying to escape from.

I just wonder, how big and how fast can we grow before something gives...on one hand, it's a huge compliment that people are willing to risk life and limb to start over in the USA,
on the other, well...you kind of have to wonder how this is all going to work out.

Answer 2

I don't see what the big deal is and I don't beleive for 1 second that they can't determine illegal use of a SS#. They were on me like flies on doo-do when I didn't immediatly change my name after I got married. There's a way, if they want to do it ,and I even though I don't think they can say whether the name and number match....there has to be some indication that something isn't right. I don't know why it seems this is something "new" we just started for the sole purpose of catching illegals.....but we ALWAYS had our numbers checked before. That was just as standard as checking work references and everything else. I mean I could understand if they didn't for temporary positions or if you were working for yourself, or under the table, but these are factory jobs. They usually want physicals and urine samples and the whole nine yards. Credit check, driving record, previous injuries........I mean I understand competition, but it usually requires a level playing field, that is unless you don't really want one, and it doesn't seem like these guys did. They wanted cheap people who couldn't legally fight back if they wanted to keep their job.

I have been told outright that they wanted someone younger, that they wanted someone with no children, that they wanted me but had to make their quota and I wasn't the "right" color.....plain out discrimination but there isn't a group offering free legal support for me. On every application I've ever filled out they asked if I could provide proof of citizenship when required and I have. But when there's an issue......I have to foot the legal fees. So most of us don't because we don't have that kind of spare change lying around and don't get a fair shake at these jobs. You just buck up and keep going. These guys have someone jumping at every move.

Answer 3

Since that article was in a pro agriculture link I'm sure they and Swifts are being shown as the poor poor multi million dollar company that's going to just fall by the wayside without illegal aliens.That's pure unadulterated BS that they cant find Americans to work at jobs paying $ 13 to $23 an hour.Maybe not in Cactus TX ( a tiny town) but if they really needed workers they would get them from all over the country.But if you don't have a job and you live in Ohio how are you going to get to TX? You cant just cross the Mexico /USA border now can you.I don't believe anything Swifts says or does its all very self serving and too scripted for this Arizonan.I use that ICE line to verify employees and Ive never had any trouble with it.

Answer 4

To be honest, I think the jury is still out on that. I have heard a lot of 'isolated facts' such as Swift tried to stop the raid then when they couldn't started heavy employee 'counseling' leading to 400 people leaving right before the raids. I don't know what is true, right now.

Answer 5

How was Swift punished? Did they have to pay a fine? I haven't read that anywhere have you?

ICE was doing the job the taxpayers pay it to do.

The author of the article did not do it's research. Read about the case:

http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/OcahoMain/publisheddecisions/Looseleaf/Volume9/1073.pdf

Swift settled the case with the fine. Is that an indication of guilt?

Too many rumors too many half truths!

Answer 6

I still think they knowingly hired illegal immigrants and are using that as a flimsy loophole to try to save their worthless hides. If I were running the show, they would have been fined 50% of last years gross earnings.

Answer 7

it is the job of any company to find out if a person is illegal. it is not difficult to find out, they are just being lazy and cheep. they don't want to take time to do there job. if you or i did something agents the law we would be in big trouble. but a big company wants to get away with a crime. fine the hell out of them each time illegals are found in any company. big or small.

Answer 8

The must have been some one telling those people what to do for 1300 of them to get caught

Answer 9

See-that's not right. Then they need to be punished for their actions if they weren't complying with the law. They can't round up legal workers.

Answer 10

They are just trying to get away with not doing their jobs.

The illegals need to be deported.