Agriprocessors Production At 50% Of Pre-Raid Output, Spokesman Claims

That spokesman is Chaim Abrahams, and he's quoted in a long AP feature on Postville published in yesterday's International Herald Tribune.

A small town struggles after immigration raid
The Associated Press

POSTVILLE, Iowa: A vague unease whispered through this tiny town in northeastern Iowa, where the rolling hills are a study in vivid colors — red barns, white clapboard houses, and vibrant green cornfields plowed with almost architectural precision.

It drifted through Postville's downtown, where restaurants serving tamales share three short blocks with El Vaquero clothing store, a kosher food market and the Spice-N-Ice Liquor and Redemption store.

It nagged at Irma Rucal that Monday morning after Mother's Day weekend, as the Guatemalan immigrant worked her regular shift salting chickens at Agriprocessors, the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant and Postville's biggest employer.

Then, just after 10 a.m., that insistent murmur burst to the surface with a frantic shout: "La Migra! Salvese el que pueda!" Immigration! Save yourself if you can.

The bulk of the plant's 900 workers — mostly Guatemalan and Mexican immigrants — dashed out doors, through hallways and into corners, trying to escape federal agents conducting what would be the largest immigration raid in U.S. history.…

A small town struggles after immigration raid - Print Version - International Herald Tribune.pdf

Comments

[Jerome Soller]

Getzel, you still have not provided an answer to my main question. Therefore, I will ask that again and some additional questions. In the case of one person it might be a fluke, in the case of many workers claiming they were promised $60/week and did not have that occur, it is a consistent pattern of behavior.

Does OneForce own those properties, or do they have a contract with the property owners? If so, who are the property owners?

My interpretation of the situation is at best it is a case of OneForce being negligent of making sure that people with poor English skills understand their contract (BEFORE ACCEPTING THE POSITION AND RELOCATING TO POTTSVILLE) and at worst a case of deception and fraud, taking advantage of people who may be illiterate. In either case, Agriprocessors has a responsibility to make sure its subcontractors behave ethically. What concrete steps has Agriprocessors done to improve this situation? How many times have I asked this question on this thread?

Best wishes,

Jerome