Giving Thanks to the Immigrants Working the Processing Plant Floors

Written by Carlos Rich

With the Thanksgiving holiday here, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the workers who process and pack the turkeys that so many of us will consume.   

When I drive through the state of Iowa and all across the Midwest, I pass so many fields of corn, wheat, bean, and soy, and even some hog farms and turkey farms. As I see all the fields that have been harvested, the farmers steering their equipment down the rural roads towards winter storage, I can’t help but think to myself of the abundance of food produced in this country.

And so during this season of giving thanks, I’d like all of us to think of the… Read more

Bullying in the Work Place & in Our Schools: the Same Problem

Written by Carlos Rich

Bulling is an obvious problem in this nation, one that’s receiving more and more serious attention in recent times. Young Jamey Rodemeyer, for example, took his life because some other cruel boys were ruthlessly mocking him for his sexual orientation.

In my work with immigrants, I often witness and hear accounts of adults treating other adults this way in the workplace.

A worker named Nancy came to me last week, telling me that she was unjustly fired; I then asked her a series of questions, to figure out whether there might have be some inconsistencies in her story, or whether the actions of the employer truly were unjustified. As she was talking with me,… Read more

Think Your Summer was Hot? Try Working in the Agricultural Fields of the US.

Written by Carlos Rich

Much of this country’s food production depends on foreign laborers who come to this country temporarily. The US contracts with other governments to bring workers here to do the “unwanted, unpleasant jobs” that Americans do want to do. These migrants perform jobs in the heat, or extreme heat as was the case this summer.  Migrant workers pick and pull our vegetables and fruits, so that we can consume at summer parties with our families friends and neighbors many of us not know really where it came from or who picked it.

This summer, like the last three in Iowa, I had the privilege of working with workers from Mexico, who came here on an H-2A… Read more

Health

Fear and Loathing on the Killing Room Floor

Written by Carlos Rich

Where animals are slaughtered and processed, where the meat is portioned and packaged, several dangerous elements exist.

Processing plants in this country dispense with over 400 head of cattle per hour, which from living animal to fully processed meat is more than six per minute. Maintaining that high rate of speed, workers regularly complete 20,000 cutting motions in a single day. As a result, these workers often develop crippling cumulative trauma disorders, their hands and limbs can be mangled by meat processing machines, and they may sustain deep wounds from their razor-sharp knives.

These workers, of course, are exposed to these dangers every minute of every shift. These dangers, needless to say,

Immigration

Immigrants are Vital to Our Communities

Written by Carlos Rich

A few months back workers were let go from their jobs at a local processing plant in Iowa due to discrepancies with their immigration status.

I started to get calls on a cold Monday in January. Workers were in a panic. Many received letters from their employers telling them to resolve their immigration status in the next 24 to 48 hours.

I cannot imagine the amount of fear they must have been feeling, with so much uncertainty about what would happen to them and their families.   Many of the workers had been working with the company for eight or nine years. The workers told me that the plant knew who had and who did not… Read more

Shows of Unity Permeate this Year’s National Latino Congreso

Written by Carlos Rich

My experience this past weekend at the National Latino Congreso in Austin, TX, was truly inspiring, as many of us convened together with Latino leaders and grassroots organizers from across the country to raise and explore issues of education, migration, and other important topics that are impacting immigrant communities in the US.

Since it was my first time attending, I really did not know what to expect. Immediately, though, I was encouraged to engage with other Latino colleagues who are at the front line of supporting immigrants and are invested in fostering participation in open dialogues on behalf of and with immigrant populations.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a greater sense of belonging than… Read more

Politics

Food workers struggle for justice with tomato pickers in Immokalee

Written by Carlos Rich

Earlier this month, I along with a few workers from the Midwest joined hundreds of protesters and Immokalee workers in Tampa, Florida.  This effort to bring more attention to the plight of food workers started in the northeast and made stops in New York and Atlanta.  The effort targeted large grocery retailers such as Publix and Trader Joe’s, and asked that they “Do the right thing” when it comes to ensuring that workers receive fair wages.

The Immokalee workers for example pick tomatoes for wages that are too low. Florida’s tomato harvesters are still paid by the piece. The average piece rate today is 50 cents for every 32-lb of tomatoes they pick, a… Read more

Economy

Immigrant and refugee workers undercut by temp agency hiring

Written by Carlos Rich

Times are hard and a lot of Americans are having difficulty finding jobs.  Immigrants, refugees and other workers of color are having the hardest time.  With more states requiring that employers use E-Verify and Form I-9, some face discrimination in many places where they apply for work.

And the increasing prevalence of temp agencies is making matters worse.

Warehouse Workers for Justice reports that 70% of Chicagoland warehouses employ temps rather than direct hires. Many workers report that in suburban Will County, where many warehouses are located, it’s impossible to find work anywhere other than at a staffing agency.

Immigration

I-9 Verification, riddled with errors, continues to hurt American workers

Written by Carlos Rich

In 2005, the US initiated the I-9 verification program for employers. The I-9 Form is used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify an employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the U.S.

Mandatory verification is not good for citizens, can be costly to taxpayers, and may lead to discrimination against immigrants and refugees who are authorized to work in the U.S.

There have been cases when the verification system has made errors.  Just last month I received a call from an individual who was sent to the DHS office because her social security did not appear in the system. She had to take time off work to deal with the issue… Read more