Thread: Meatpackers Welcome Immigration Reform

Updated:2007-05-25 14:23:02
Meatpackers Welcome Immigration Reform
By ROXANA HEGEMAN
AP
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Under increasing scrutiny from immigration agents recently, the U.S. meatpacking industry is throwing its support behind the immigration reform measure now before Congress.

The bipartisan immigration deal would create a guest worker program and tighten border security. It largely pleases meatpacking executives who say they want a more stable and legal work force.

"The plan contains many key reform elements we have been advocating for over a year," said Sean McHugh, spokesman for Swift & Co., the meatpacking giant targeted last year by massive raids at its plants in six states.

The guest worker proposal would allow laborers, including some in the meatpacking industry, to come to the U.S. for temporary stints without a guarantee they would be able to stay and eventually gain citizenship. The overall measure also includes a plan to grant legal status to the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

The American Meat Institute, the trade group that represents the meatpacking industry, cited one key component of the measure in Congress: enhancement of current systems for screening employees. Among other things, the bill would fund online systems that use new technologies such as biometrics to help verify identities and work status.

The nation's meat and poultry industry employs 500,000 workers, making it the largest sector of agriculture, according to the American Meat Institute. Lately, that work force has gotten a closer look from immigration enforcement officials.

For example, operations at Swift plants in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Utah were suspended for several hours on Dec. 12 while immigration agents arrested more than 1,200 workers. Swift has estimated the financial impact of the raids at up to $50 million. The Greeley, Colo.-based company said it has taken longer than expected to return the beef plants to full operation, resulting in higher costs and lost business.

"Immigration reform legislation now being considered in the Senate is a credible, productive first step and one that deserves full consideration by lawmakers," American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle said in a written statement.

However, both Swift and the United Food and Commercial Workers union expressed some concerns about the reform measure.

The union argues that guest worker programs would turn permanent jobs into temporary ones and lower workplace standards for all employees. "It creates second-class workers," said Martin Rosas, secretary-treasurer of the union in Dodge City.

Swift says the nation would benefit more by providing immigrants a path to citizenship. "Our needs are year-round and we do invest substantial amount of time and money in training a new hire, so we obviously prefer to keep them on the payroll rather than lose them," McHugh said.

Rosas said he was especially concerned that the guest worker provisions could make it even easier for plants to get rid of workers who are injured while on the job.

"Through the years, the corporations, particularly the meatpacking industry, has used workers and disposed of workers as they want because of very high injury rates in the meatpacking industry. It is common practice now; it would be even worse" with a guest worker program, Rosas said.

Nationwide, about 47,500 workers in the animal slaughter and processing industry were hurt in 2005 while on the job, a rate of 9.1 injuries per 100 workers, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. Thirteen workers were killed.

But the American Meat Institute points to statistics showing the number of injuries has fallen by almost 70 percent since 1990, when the industry partnered with the union and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop ergonomic guidelines.

On the Net:

American Meat Institute: http://www.meatami.com

United Food and Commercial Workers: http://www.ufcw.org

Swift & Co.: http://www.swiftbrands.com


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
05/25/07 14:21 EDT

Good reason to become a vegetarian.

No one industry employees more illegals than the meat packers.