Swift replaces workers arrested in immigration raids
May 11, 2007 22:44 EDT

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -- Swift & Co. says it has filled nearly 1,300 positions made open after immigration agents arrested workers at six plants, including one in Iowa.

The meatpacking giant says the raids cost it as much as 50 million dollars.

Operations at Swift plants in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Utah were suspended for several hours on December 12th while immigration agents arrested about 12 hundred workers. No company managers have been charged.

Company C-E-O Sam Rovit says staffing returned to full force in April at two pork-processing plants and this month at the beef plants.

The Greeley-based company initially estimated the financial impact of the raids at 30 million for the fiscal year ending May 27th. It raised the estimates to 50 million yesterday.

A Swift spokesman says a strategic review to determine the company's future is continuing but no decision has been made.

http://www.kgan.com/template/inews_wire ... .com.shtml