Thread: PA: Union claims illegals building Johnson and Johnson distr

Union claims illegals building Johnson and Johnson distribution center
Primary contractor denies allegations




SUSAN KOOMAR
Record Senior Managing Editor
July 03, 2007


TOBYHANNA — More than 100 suspected illegal workers are helping to build a massive Johnson & Johnson distribution center here, say union tradesmen at the construction site.

The project has about 300 workers as it nears completion.

There are immigrant workers on the job but they should all have proper documentation, said Dave Moses, executive vice president of Clayco, the project's main contractor.

Clayco works with many subcontractors and all are required to follow federal hiring rules, Moses said in a phone interview on Monday.

"We have a pretty stringent process," he said. "We would welcome any kind of inspection. It's not unusual to get feedback from building trades along these lines."

Clayco, based in St. Louis, is one of the largest construction firms in the country. Its high-profile projects include Busch Stadium.

A union representative involved in the Johnson & Johnson job contacted the Pocono Record after reading reports of a federal raid at Iridium Industries in East Stroudsburg on June 19.

Two calls to a federal tip line have not resulted in any action, said Joe Zeller of the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters. Zeller said he called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) twice in recent months; one of his tradesman also called the ICE tip line. The men are frustrated by the lack of a response.

"This (Johnson & Johnson center) is a few miles from where terrorists were training," said Zeller, referring to men arrested for an alleged plot to attack Fort Dix. Those men trained at a shooting range near Gouldsboro, according to federal investigators.

Tradesmen interviewed at the Johnson & Johnson job site on Monday said out-of-state contractors have brought in Spanish-speaking workers from around the country.

"One offered me $100 to take him for his driver's license. He needs someone with a Pennsylvania license and registration to take him," said a tradesman.

Union workers report seeing large passenger vans transport suspected illegals to and from work. Employees at Iridium Industries described the same commuting arrangements there for illegal immigrants.

"It's pretty hard to find any construction site that doesn't have Hispanic workers," said Moses of Clayco.

Last Tuesday, a helicopter flew to the Johnson & Johnson site for installation of heavy rooftop cooling units. Dozens of workers fled into the woods when the helicopter zoomed in, said union tradesmen.

"Apparently they thought it was some kind of a raid," said Zeller.

Response to complaints can take months, said Ernestine Fobbs, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Enforcement.

"People think we go out overnight and do something and that's not necessarily true. We will explore the possibilities and look into the information that we receive," she said. "It's not willy-nilly."

Concerns about illegal workers are job-site safety and national security issues, said Zeller, not a union issue. There's plenty of work for union tradesmen in the region, including major construction projects at Mount Airy Resort & Casino and East Stroudsburg South High School, he said.

The Johnson & Johnson distribution center is a concrete and steel building that will have about 28,000 square feet of office space and 765,000 square feet of air conditioned warehouse space.

The building, set for completion this summer, is just north of Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport on Route 611 between Mount Pocono and Tobyhanna. The Johnson & Johnson center is projected to create 268 jobs over the next four years. State aid for the business includes an $800,000 grant and $804,000 in job creation tax credits from the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Eighty-one illegal workers were arrested in the Iridium raid and face deportation. Former Iridium employees complained to local authorities after reading about a $3.7 million federal tax-free bond for the company approved in May. Local officials called federal immigration investigators.

So far as we know, no charges have been filed against Iridium or the temp agency that Iridium blames for bringing in illegal workers.

~~~
Update
Last we knew: 81 workers were arrested at Iridium Industries in East Stroudsburg as the result of a federal raid on June 19. Iridium, a plastics manufacturer, blames a temp agency for hiring the workers.

The latest: Union tradesmen say more than 100 suspected illegal workers are helping build a Johnson & Johnson distribution center in Coolbaugh Township. The union has called federal investigators. Head contractor Clayco said immigrant workers are on the job and should all have proper documentation.

What's next: Investigations take time and are not made public, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Clayco said it requires all subcontractors to follow federal hiring rules and welcomes a site inspection.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 17/-1/news

Jail Time Baby... Lets see if they enforce the law??

OOO Mike we have a job for you.....

Two calls to a federal tip line have not resulted in any action, said Joe Zeller of the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters. Zeller said he called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) twice in recent months; one of his tradesman also called the ICE tip line. The men are frustrated by the lack of a response.

No surprise here.

Go to jail ...do not pass go...do not collect 200 dollars