Thread: Dozens of Employees (IAs) Walk Away From Electrolux

Dozens of Employees Walk Away From Electrolux
Posted: Dec 15, 2007 10:23 PM EST


SPRINGFIELD, Tenn.- It wasn't shift change, yet dozens of workers walked out of a Robertson County plant on Friday after Electrolux of Springfield was recently the subject of a NewsChannel 5 investigation.

NewsChannel 5 looked into whether the plant employed illegal immigrants. Sources told NewsChannel 5 more than 100 workers have been let go in the past couple of days.

The employees said it was complete chaos. According to a NewsChannel 5 source, so many workers have been let go that it has been hard to do their jobs at the Electrolux plant.

Second and Third shifts have been hit the hardest, and they believe the company is taking action to fix a problem that should not have happened in the first place.

Diane Casey has lived across the street from the Electrolux plant for years. In that time she has had a front row seat of who comes in and out of the plant, but Friday was different from the rest. It was an observation shared by many during the plants' shift change around 1:00 Friday afternoon.

According to a NewsChannel5 source, Electrolux let go 120 employees Thursday and 52 on Friday.

"They were calling your supervisor, calling names to go to HR, taking them to HR and from there walking them out the door. Something about their ID's or Social Security numbers weren't matching," said an anonymous employee.

Electrolux released the following statement:

"Electrolux does not tolerate or condone the use of false documentation in attempting to establish work eligibility. Every new hire undergoes two verifications of employment eligibility. In light of the recent news stories, we are conducting a review of employment eligibility documentation. The company's policy regarding the presentation of false identity or work authorization documents is termination of employment."

"After our last break on the lines it just went berserk," said the employee.

A phone call during second shift Thursday night prompted many employees to walk out.

"Somebody had called in saying INS was going to be there to pick them up when they walked out the door, so they voluntarily walked out themselves," said the employee.

The situation could hurt Electrolux's production. Electrolux wouldn't confirm or deny the number of workers that have been let go in recent days or why.

The immigration and customs enforcement department, better known as "ICE," is looking into illegal document vendors in the Springfield area.

Earlier this week, federal Agents arrested two people, and charged them with making and selling fake IDs in Robertson County.
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/stor ... =Printable

HOW IS IT THAT ALL OF THE SUDDEN ELECTROLUX CAN IDENTIFY ILLEGALS BUT THEY COULD NOT DO THIS BEFORE?

Yahoo, now maybe wages will go up and citizens can get a job. Thank You NewsChannel 5 Team for forcing Electrolux to do the right thing ( Hope DHS investigates them).

It is better late than never. Thanks, Electrolux!

NC5 Investigation Prompts Changes In Plant's Hiring Practices

Posted: Dec 17, 2007 04:25 PM PST

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. - The Electrolux plant in Springfield and the company that hires their employees vow to improve the way they process new employees.

A NewsChannel 5 investigation revealed how illegal immigrants bought fake documents to get jobs in the Springfield area.

A number of interviewees said some of the undocumented immigrants worked at Electrolux.

On Friday, Electrolux told NewsChannel 5 they started to take a second look at hundreds of employees as a result of the undercover investigation.

Sources said a number of workers were dismissed because they may have been in the United States illegally.

On Monday, the staffing agency that hires many Electrolux employees will now change the way they do business as well.

The investigation uncovered how illegal immigrants bought fake identification and obtained jobs at Electrolux.

Electrolux denied they knowingly hired illegal immigrants.

But after the series aired, company officials said they started reviewing the documents of many of their 3,000 employees.

Sources said that lead to hundreds of layoffs.

Randstad is the staffing agency that first hires people into the Electrolux system.

They are now following Electrolux's lead and reviewing hundreds of people in their system.

Randstad said in the next 30 days they are going to implement a brand new program to help them spot fake documents. Due in part to the investigation, that program starts this week at their Springfield Electrolux branch.

"The problem we were running into is that there is a number of fraudulent documents out there," said Jeff Bates of T.A. Staffing.

The program is called E-Verify. Staffing agencies such as T.A. Staffing have been using the free government program for months. It's designed to help employers verify all sorts of documentation.

"Immigration is a federal issue, and employers right now, are stuck in the middle," Bates said. "Many are going to do what's legal, and some are going to take that next step, that proactive step."

It's a program Electrolux now says they will start up at the beginning of the year.

Electrolux still will not confirm just how many people have been dismissed.


http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7509735