Posted on 07/28/2012 2:27:51 PM PDT by bjorn14
MILWAUKEE — On May 27, about 150 workers from Palermo’s Pizza factory here, representing three-fourths of its production workers, met to sign a petition saying they wanted to unionize. They say they gave the petition to management two days later.
Around the same time, Palermo’s delivered letters to 89 immigrant workers, asking them to provide documentation verifying that they had the right to work in the United States. Ten days later, almost all of them were fired.
Labor organizers assert that Palermo’s, one of the nation’s largest producers of frozen pizza, was trying to snuff out a unionization drive in its infancy. The company says it was merely responding to warnings it had received from federal immigration authorities to fire unauthorized workers or face hefty fines.
Scores of Palermo’s workers have been on strike since June 1 to protest this immigration crackdown, as well as what they say were poor wages and working conditions. Day after day, the strikers picket outside the factory, often in 90-degree heat, chanting, “No justice, no pizza.” Labor unions across the nation have rallied behind them and called for a boycott of Palermo’s products.
At a time when labor leaders see immigrants as a group ripe for unionization, the conflict highlights how difficult it can be to organize workplaces that include unauthorized workers, who are entitled to certain labor protections despite working illegally.
The fight also demonstrates how the Obama administration’s campaign to toughen immigration enforcement in workplaces can increase employers’ leverage to derail unionization efforts.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Wisconsin pizza union/immigration flap
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Whichever, the employer most likely has a record of the federal request which would prove the union's made up the “retaliation” issue. Funny how the Times staff of "professional reporters" didn't check or (most likely) didn't report on that, huh?
They deserve to get unionized for having criminal Mexicans working there in the first place.
Today’s reporters have no idea that people can be duplicitous. They are sheep.
How can illegals be able to find work in the US when we already have a 10% unemployment rate?
But... these people snuck into the country illegally. If the government knows this, shouldn’t they just be deported?
Remember the bygone era, before the nation became an idiocracy, when the above observation would have ended any debate on the issue?
And the problem with that is?
I agree...the request probably came before the union notification which means these illegals believe they could hide behind the union thuggery.
Without these “votes” to vote whether or not to take a
unionization vote, I’m betting the union wanting to
represent works at this facility do not enough votes.
And of course the next accusation from a Palmero’s worker will be a formal unfair labor practice accusation.
Palermo products boycott is being called for? Hmmm...more of it for us! :)
Palermo products boycott is being called for? Hmmm...more of it for us! :)
Good and GOOD!
“Around the same time, Palermo’s delivered letters to 89 immigrant workers, asking them to provide documentation verifying that they had the right to work in the United States. Ten days later, almost all of them were fired.”
89 down, 20-30 million to go. (I know, I know, it doesn’t say they were deported, but I can dream, can’t I?)
No problem whatsoever. I’m happy that Gov. Walker is rubbing off on the private sector.
If the job sucks so bad, why are you picketing? Go look for a better job. Stupid A-Holes.
They deserve an EEOC investigation for not hiring people who fill out their I9 fraudulently.
“There is some irony in the Palermo’s dispute — a company that boasts that it was founded by immigrants finds itself in battle with its immigrant employees.”
Make that LEGAL immigrants!!!
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