Agriprocessors Update, Part 2: Department of Ominous Relationships

A hint of what Postville might face is found in the relationship between father and son.

Agriprocessors' owner Hershey Friedman's point man in Postville is his son-in-law, Daniel Hirsch. Hirsch functions as Agriprocessors' (now Agri-Star and, perhaps, soon to be PrimeStar) CEO.

Daniel Hirsch has an interesting relative – his father, Samuel Hirsch.

Sam Hirsch was once a New York State Assemblyman from Borough Park, Brooklyn. (Dov Hikind now holds that seat.) Sam Hirsch was also a key figure in the infamous Borough Park riots of 1978. 3,000 hasidim mobbed a police station, took it over and injured 62 cops in the process.

One of those injured cops was a Jewish officer who had arrested violent street thugs who were targeting elderly Jews. The officer nabbed those thugs by posing as an elderly Jew and walking alone through the fringes of the neighborhood after dark waiting to be mugged. The thugs did not disappoint and the officer was mugged. On at least one occasion, he was injured in the process, but got his man nonetheless.

Arrested for his role in the riot, Sam Hirsch cried antisemitism, police brutality and bias, even though there was little, if any, evidence for it. Belligerent and obstinate, Sam Hirsch blamed everyone but Orthodox Jews for the riot.

Charges against Hirsch were eventually conditionally dropped. Hirsch had to promise to stay out of trouble for six months in return. (This appears to have worked like a plea bargain.)

After losing his Assembly seat, Sam Hirsch focused on his legal practice.

This summer, when Syrian and other rabbis were arrested on money laundering, tax evasion and organ trafficking charges, Sam Hirsch told Zev Brenner's radio audience that it is forbidden to moser, inform on a fellow Jew.

Musing aloud, Hirsch also said the government's cooperating witness against the rabbis, Solomon Dwek, "should have been killed." He called Dwek a "snitch," a "weasel," and "moser."

For his part, Daniel Hirsch sent an email to religious and community leaders in Postville calling Vic Rosenthal of Jewish Community Action an antisemite and has refused to cooperate with efforts encouraged by Rosenthal to protect the town and Hirsch's employees from the abuses common under previous ownership. Those same efforts would have cemented Postville's responsibilities to Agri-Star, as well.

Sadly for Postville, it appears Daniel Hirsch has learned much from his father.

Samuel Hirsch 1, 2 .

Daniel Hirsch: 1, 2.

Comments

[sage]

If DH thinks that he can continue abusing Postville or its Citizens, he might be in for an unexpected surprise.

From what folks living in and around Postville have posted on this site, they are not going to take this anymore.

So, DH, as CPA has written, "Pack it up and move it on."

[steve]

HHH: Hirsch, Hershey and Heshy. These three stooges are set up to make people think that things will be different from now on in Postville. The truth is that it's all a facade, as its been for the past twenty years. Nothing changes, only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

[concerned citizen]

Haven't posted for awhile and felt I needed to> I talked with a lady who walks by my place everyday, on her way home from working at the plant, nice lady. Asked her if they were getting paid on a regular basis and she said yes, but it was pretty slow on her end, I think she said she works in the deli side. She did say that those of them who worked on Labor Day were to get paid time and a half, but they did not get the holiday pay that they were promised. Anybody from Postville that is on this site today, Wish the Football Team good luck tonight at their Homecoming game. GO PIRATES!!!!!!!!!!

[sage]

Hi CC,

I certainly hope that the Feds have planted 'moles' in Agri-Star.

If the promise of time-and-a-half was in writing or verbally wittnessed by others, the lady you refer to was subjected to possible Iowa and Federal Labor Law Violations.

Please keep us FM readers informed.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

I find this article interesting because it shows the parallels between the unfounded or at least exaggerated charges of antisemitism in connection with the Postville proceedings, and the clearly ludicrous charges of antisemitism in the 1977 Borough Park riots. (Maybe some charges of police brutality were valid; NYPD cops didn't like their precincts being invaded and taken over back then.) During this same time frame, the black community was claiming discrimation (you didn't hear racial discriminatiion, ethnic discrimination, etc. just the one word 'discrimination') at every real or perceived slight. Today, people there shrug off such charges as unfounded more than ever before.

[AGRI-vated Angel]

[She did say that those of them who worked on Labor Day were to get paid time and a half, but they did not get the holiday pay that they were promised.]

Same song, nine hundred [and] ninety-ninth verse.

Billboards should 'greet' newcomers as they arrive, warning . . .

'Beware ~ Enter at your own risk.'

[sage]

And, G-d willing, when the plant is gone and the Chabad are leaving town, there should be prominent billboards saying:

'Beware ~ If you try to come back here, it is at your own risk.'

[groisa schmekel]

Doesn't the law state that an employee must
Work 90 days to be eligible for holiday (extra) pay?

[Shmarya]

I'm not sure, but I doubt such a law would be legal.

[groisa schmekel]

...or any benefits until they have passed a trial period
If you guys actually worked u would know that most employees
Don't get health benefits for first 3 months

I guess if u were actually interested in the truth you
Wouldn't blog or "doubt" or even discuss matters u know
Not about.

I bet sage was discussing kapparot rituals (which he
Is ignorant of - hat tip shmarya while he neglected
His paid duties at NASA causing the shuttle explosion)

Btw I heard a chicken perished in that disaster.

Shabbat sholom geniuses

[Shmarya]

Time and a half for working holidays and the like is NOT a benefit in the same way insurance is.

I believe in most states, all employees get time and a half if any employees get it.. How long you've worked is not a factor.

[sage]

GS,

You are very lucky that I'm not an SOB.

Otherwise, I have more than enough to sue you for slander.

[groisa schmekel]

Sage,

I would like to get a professional opinion on the SOB issue
Is the slander because I falsely labeled u a genius?
Or is it the lingering pain u feel for the chicken who's
Life you ruined.
I heard rumors that you will be sued by more than one
Party for slander, by the chickens family and NASA for
Playing blog games during work.
Tsk tsk. Gonna be a busy yom kippur for u

[state of the Jews]

Time and a half for work exceeding 40 hours is a federal law passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. A probationary period before receiving benefits would depend upon company policy and what terms the company negotiated with its insurance carrier. Many public institutions require no waiting period for health benefits. Vesting in pension programs usually follows some period of time - anywhere from a month to six months, to a year or more.

[sage]

Hi SOJ,

Thanks for the clarification on the (Time-And-A-Half) thing.

It should also be observed, that failing to pay workers on time or making promises of wages to be paid and going back on one's word, are Torah Labor Law violations, notwithstanding Law of the Land issues.

It's frankly, very unfortunate, that we still have folks, that have not taken a vow for this new year, to be respectful to other folks on this blog, with whom they have honest disagreements.

They fail to recognize, that being disrespectful and trying to defame others, only hurts themselves.

It's a real shame, and I feel that the webmaster should consider banning such folks, if they simply can't play by the rules.

[fair is fair]

to all: there was no promise to anyone that there would be any extra pay for working on labor day. All employees of Agri Star are new with a hire date of 8-6-2009. the employee hand book states the policy of no holiday pay until after the 90 day probation period. Nobody was lied to and no one was stolen from, on this particular issue.

[groisa schmekel]

Sage stop ur whining. U r so busy telling HF how
To sell meat and SR how to blog you didn't realize
How ignorant, repetitive and silly u sound.

I spoke to many other participants on this blog and we
All want to see u retire to the agristar pastures.