Posted on 10/12/2006 2:03:15 PM PDT by SmithL
A federal judge granted class action status to a lawsuit that contends Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer, depressed wages by hiring illegal immigrants at eight plants in Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Texas and Virginia.
Howard W. Foster of Chicago, an attorney for Tyson employees, described the ruling as a "very big step," allowing him to seek damages for thousands of workers at the eight plants instead of just the four original plaintiffs.
Roger Dickson of Chattanooga, an attorney for the Springdale, Ark., based company, said he had not had a chance to read the judge's order and declined further comment.
"This is a procedural ruling and not based on the merits of this case, which was actually dismissed by another judge back in 2002," Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in an e-mail statement. "We remain confident our company will ultimately prevail."
U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier's order issued Tuesday also scheduled a Jan. 29 conference with attorneys where it is expected he will set a trial date.
A federal jury in March 2003 acquitted the company and three former managers of conspiring to hire illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America for low-wage production jobs to boost profits. Two former Tyson managers who made plea deals were each sentenced to one year of probation.
The acquittal dealt a setback to the government's strategy of enforcing immigration laws by going after big business.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
This wins, and the other big violators will be scared enough to maybe behave a little.
being from central mississippi, i can say that the chicken plants (including tyson) are notorious for being among the first to bring in illegals in large numbers to work in their plants in MS.
Close the plants down and put all these people out of work.
I guarantee that the minute Tyson announces a closing, this suit goes away.
Wouldn't that make them want to sue more?
Will never win. Tyson big Clinto9n backers.
"Wouldn't that make them want to sue more?"
For what? To get their jobs back? This is a union deal. The union is fighting this. The union is suing. The union is costing the company millions.
Cheaper to shut the plant or move it overseas.
L
Yeah. I guess union workers will have to do those jobs that they don't want to do.
Can you say Gainesville, Ga?
L
Tyson Foods. (Source openSecrets.org)
Tyson Foods executive Archie Schaffer was convicted for bribery by Independent Counsel Donald Smaltz in re Espy.(Pardoned by Clinton).
Tyson Foods = Clinton Stooges..
Last time I visited NW Arkansas (Springdale area) it looked like little Mexico. You see all these old school buses with painted out windows driving the illegals to the chicken processing plants.
I do not buy anything from Tyson. Years ago the plants were known for being really dirty. I'm sure they aren't any better now that they are full of illegals.
Then there's the issue of dirty money going to Clinton. I hope they get slammed, but I really doubt they will.
If a company needs to bring in ILLEGALS to make ends meet, then it does not deserve to be in business.
Any one remeber the 1991 chicken plant where workers died because fire doors were chained shut?
"According to official reports, twenty-five (25) people died and another fourty-nine (49) were injuried as the result of a fire in the Imperial chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina yesterday. Witnesses, at the scene, described panicked workers as screaming, "Let me out!....Let me out!", as they tried to kick open doors that were reportedly padlocked by the plant management to prevent vandalism and theft. Footprint indentations were evident on the inside of at least one door, that was seen to be locked from the outside."
What should happen is that the price of chicken should rise to cover lawful wages. I'm prepared for that, and I don't mind.
Tyson chickens are smaller than Purdue's, and have more fat on them. You don't get your money's worth with Tyson.
I rather buy a nice *tasty* ovenstuffer, and have leftovers.
I'm pro big business, but I'll cast my dollar "votes" for a good chicken untouched by illegals.
That fresh chicken from China, might actually be a street pigeon. I read something a while back that pigeons have actually learned that its unsafe for them to land over the Chinese border.
Purdue is hard to find--I remember Purdue, in his white Mercedes, getting tickets for speeding on the Eastern Shore. He paid for a lot of tickets, nobody let him off the hook, but he never slowed down.
You're talking about Frank "it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken" Perdue?
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