Agri Star Security Staff Allegedly Refused To Let Fire Department Fight Fire Because Of Shabbat

Agri Star kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa had a major fire Friday night, and its security staff refused to let the fire department in the plant to fight the fire until they got approval from the plant's maintenance supervisor.

Originally published at 11:17 pm CST Sunday, 11-17-2013

Agri Star’s Security Staff Allegedly Bars Fire Department From Fighting Plant Fire On Shabbat
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com 

Agri Star kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa had a major fire Friday night, and its security staff refused to let the fire department in the plant to fight the fire until they got approval from the plant's maintenance supervisor, two area sources familiar with the situation told FailedMessiah.com tonight.

The sources did not wish to be identified due to fear of retribution.

The fire department could have ignored the plant's security staff and broken in, but had recently been sued by a town resident who happens to be Jewish and were afraid to do so, a source said.

Instead, the fire department waited until the plant's maintenance manager arrived and allowed them to enter, a source said.

The source also had no explanation for how the fire could have burned for almost five hours before the fire department was called with no fire alarms or smoke detectors apparently sounding in the plant.

A local journalist allegedly arrived at the plant at approximately 3:00 am but was kept away by Agri Star security staff which blocked the journalist's entry into the compound and would not allow the journalist to take photographs of the fire from outside the compound gates, a source said.

The sources also complained about Agri Star's management's mistreatment of workers and, they say, mismanagement of the plant itself, with one source noting that many Agri Star workers are now only given part time hours so Agri Star does not have to pay their benefits. In addition, many workers are paid about $8 per hour, a source alleged – far below competing plants in the region.

Over the past months, sources have also been particularly harsh about Chaim Abrams – a Rubashkin relative who, they say, is acting as the plant's most senior day-to-day manager.  Some allege Abrams is continuing some of the bad behavior of the Rubashkin family, which hasn't owned the plant since 2009.

The actual senior manager, Michael Landy, who holds the title of Director of Strategic Planning, Operations, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, and Finance, is allegedly often absent from the plant, a source said.

Landy's father used to own a Minnesota-based kosher slaughterhouse. Landy also owned one, but, a source alleged, "squandered it."

This raises the possibility that Landy is only serving as a front man for Chaim Abrams and other plant managers left over from the days when the Rubashkin family owned the plant. This may be a violation of the terms of the bankruptcy sale of the plant to SHF Industries. That sale was only allowed if members and close associates of the Rubashkin family were not playing senior leadership roles. It is unclear whether Chaim Abrams is one one of those banned family members/managers.

The fire is considered to be accidental, local news sources reported.

The plant suffered serious smoke damage along with fire damage to its laundry room, where the fire apparently started in dryer left running for hours unattended, and the surrounding area of the plant.

However, production may be officially resumed as early as Monday after a fire marshal inspects the plant.

Agri Star produces the Aaron's Best and Shor Habor brands of glatt kosher beef, poultry and deli products.

Related Posts:

Agri Star Burns In Shabbat Fire.

Agri Star Fire Burned For Hours Before Being Discovered.

Comments

[David]

Next time the fire department should just let it burn. On the other hand, that's probably exactly what the owners wanted...

[David]

+++The fire department could have ignored the plant's security staff and broken in, but had recently been sued by a town resident who happens to be Jewish and were afraid to do so, a source said.+++

I wonder what they were sued for? Putting out that resident’s fire?

[Boychikel]

There seems to have been a lot of fires at the Postville plant in the last few years.

[Isa]

The insurance company upon hearing the Fire Department was refused entry should and must refuse any insurance coverage

[rebitzman - $101 to read my posts]

By strict hallachah - they were correct in not letting in the the firemen, but by any rule of common sense they were not. And I agree with Isa - the insurance company should not have to pay for their adherence to a strict interpretation of Jewish law.

[!]

rebitzman;
Can you take this opportunity to explain what you mean by "the strict halacha". I know that fires causing purely monetary damage must be allowed to burn but is that really also true when there was no chilul Shabbos by a Jew. i.e. noone called and none of the firefighters are?

Much More Significantly - and this I really don't understand:
In modern times with fire codes and fire resistant building materials and sophisticated fire fighting techniques- fires have been known to jump alleyways and highways and eventually cause more than property damage. In rural areas, unattended fires can cause forest fires that will eventually kill if not put out. Has there ever really been a fire that was guaranteed to only cause property damages?? And even more so in ancient times without any of the modern techniques.
Is it possible that codifiers of this halacha were writing about a theoretical situation that was not meant to be taken literally, ever?

[state of disgust]

Chiam Abrams has always been a source of trouble at the plant. He keeps a low profile but has always manipulated the company for the benefit of the family. It was never a surprise that Landy was/is a figurehead. I seem to remember discussions about this when he was appointed.
Chiam never had any formal training in the meat business, It has all been on-the-job and his primary teacher was Aaron Rubashkin, Shalom Rubashkin, Heshy Rubashkin and Hasom Amara. Sorta like learning good business ethics from Enron.
I still won't buy anything coming out of that plant.

[Hal]

rebitzman, not correct. by halakha maybe they shouldn't put out the fire but you don't have to stop the firemen.

[rebitzman - $101 to read my posts]

@!

The standards were potential for loss of life or injury - and whether or not you have someplace else you can spend your Shabbat. The Talmud discusses instances where financial hardship might occur, but A) They remained undecided on the issue and B) you don't poskim hallachah from the Gemara.

While I personally DO agree that it was not intended to be taken literally, the local Chabad rabbi claims that his son (3 years old) once set fire to his bedroom just before Shabbat, and that all they did was shut the door and allow it to burn itself out. IMO - he is either full of crap, or lucky beyond words.

Perhaps both.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

Only in the screwball looney world of Toyrah Jewland is there any question of whether or not to call the fire department.

[rebitzman - $101 to read my posts]

"but you don't have to stop the firemen."

In the strictest interpretation - yes you do. You can't have a non-Jew do forbidden work on your behalf on Shabbes.

[Sarek]

Oy, it's shabbos. The fire must be left to burn.

WHAT F'ING IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where does the Torah say it is a suicide pact?

And no smoke or fire detectors or sprinklers??? Are they going for the Guinness record for code violations?

I agree with the above commenter that the insurance company will probably look very closely at this.

[David]

+++In the strictest interpretation - yes you do. You can't have a non-Jew do forbidden work on your behalf on Shabbes.

Posted by: rebitzman | November 18, 2013 at 01:05 PM+++

But perhaps the Talmudic logic could be that nobody actually asked them to put out the fire, they were only told about the fire and then they decided to put it out themselves.

In any case, the loophole I was told was that you can't be sure no one is inside so the fire department should be called.

In any case, in what other religion or culture could there POSSIBLY be a debate as to whether the fire department should be called or not?

I suppose that if the insurance company decides not to honor the claim due to the deliberate delay in calling the fire fighters that they will be called antisemites.

[Reuven]

They should be charged with Arson for knowingly letting it burn

[Isa]

In regards to the insurance angle...
If the insurance company refuses coverage then 'halacha' changes

See old story below

Shabbos afternoon in the shetl

People come in to the village rabbi and scream "Rabbi there is a cow stuck in mud, if we don't free the cow. it will die"

The rabbi turns to the gemora, reads some pages and says " the cow must die, we cannot violate Shabbos"

The villagers scream "Rabbi its YOUR cow"

The rabbi then turns to a different section of the gemora, reads and says "The cow has a soul, it must be saved"

This is how the halacha is changed

[David]

I can't begin to imagine the confrontation that occured when the fire fighters wanted access to the plant to put out the fire and the security staff telling them that they were under instructions to let the place burn.

I'm sure that gave the fire fighters a REAL positive take on Judaism.

[state of disgust]

Agristar is still a significant part of the economy of Postville. Shutting down the plant - even for a week - will have an impact on the income of both Jewish and non-Jewish employees (assuming they stop paying the Jewish employees while cleaning up the mess and going through re-inspection. Not paying non-Jewish employees: that is a given).