Former Tyson employees sue over alleged pay scheme-Illegal Alien Alert

Sedalia Democrat ^ | June 28, 2005 | Beth O'Malley

[Lobbyist]

Eight former Tyson Foods employees are suing the company, alleging it hires illegal employees to reduce the hourly pay.

The suit alleges that legal hourly workers "have been victimized by a scheme perpetrated both by Tyson and through a conspiracy among its top management" to reduce their pay "by knowingly hiring a workforce substantially comprised of undocumented illegal immigrants."

[Rodney King]

Tyson ought to be prosecuted under federal law for hiring illegals, but I don't see where the workers get off suing the company. You have no right to a certain amount of pay over the minimum wage. If you are underpaid, get another job.

[Lobbyist]

They are just doing what the government won't do...impose fines, etc. I believe Tyson was smacked by the Feds a few years ago for hiring illegal aliens. Frankly if RICO can be used to slap employers who hire illegal aliens then so be it.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Misplaced Texan]

Actually the problem is two-fold. One is the illegal minimum wage and the other is the illegal immigrant working for the illegal minimum wage.

The law of supply and demand works for employees as well as goods. The more employees, the lower the wage. Obviously there must be a lot of chicken pluckers available.

[TXBSAFH]

If this is true then those in management should be jailed and the workers paid.

[kellynla]

BTTT

[EagleMamaMT]

Read later.

[I_Publius]

They should also look at Pilgrim's Pride. The entire chicken industry is full of these type cases, as is the beef industry, pork industry, horse industry...need I go on?

[skaterboy]

They oughta come to Forest MS and see all the illegals in the plants

[Burf]

Didn't the Tyson management get off on those charges?

[in the Arena]

BTTT

[Regulator]

One is the illegal minimum wage and the other is the illegal immigrant working for the illegal minimum wage

Ah yes. There is no such thing as the "nation", there are only us "economic units".

So let's see. There are about oh, 4 billion humans on earth who could be chicken pluckers for Tyson. Which fraction of them do you advocate to come to the U.S.? A couple hundred million? That's a relatively small fraction.

How many and from where? Would you care if you ended up living in a country that was ethnically, culturally and politically Chinese, simply because there are 500 million of them underemployed at their level of skill?

If you think simplistic economics has all the answers, I would guess you don't care what sort of country you live in, or whose laws you live under. If you're fine with Chinese law, or Mexican law....then that's what it'll be.

But if you like American laws, then perhaps you ought to think about who is in the country, and how they think and vote.

[Lobbyist]

I thought they did. I've been wrong before...ha!

[Gabz]

If the allegations of this suit are true then Tyson should be punished, not just through the suit, but by the government. However for the moment the veracity of the claims remain up in the air.

With that said, if they are true, it may very well be a localized/regional management problem/issue. Within the past few months a friend and his wife bought a chicken farm in Delaware and signed a contract with Tyson - he told us the paperwork for getting that contract was as bad as the paperwork to get the mortgage for the farm itself, including proof that he was legally able to work in the US.

Tyson (and Perdue) is among the largest private employers in the county where I live, and so I know people in the industry from the front office right down to the processing plant and they are very strict about credentials for obtaining employment. And apparently job satisfaction is pretty high, because you don't often see help wanted ads.

As I said, I'm not saying this suit is false, I'm just thinking that if true it may be a regional thing, because what I know about Tyson in this region (DE, MD, VA) is they are real strict about legal employment.

[fella]

If these people are in Arkansas theas a fix'n ta have some real bad axidents. Tysons is one of the biggest clients of The Rose Law Firm and they know how to handle things outside of court. They might even have to recall their top evidence destroyer from the U.S. Capitol

[blackie]

Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Be Ever Vigilant!

Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!

[azhenfud]

"Employers who aid or abet the preparation of false tax returns by failing to pay income or Social Security taxes for illegal alien employees, or who knowingly make payments using false names or Social Security numbers, are subject to IRS criminal and civil sanctions. U.S. nationals who have suffered intentional discrimination because of citizenship or national origin by an employer with more than three employees may file a complaint within 180 days of the discriminatory act with the Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, U.S. Department of Justice. In additon to the federal statutes summarized, state laws and local ordinances controlling fair labor practices, workers compensation, zoning, safe housing and rental property, nuisance, licensing, street vending, and solicitations by contractors may also apply to activities that involve illegal aliens."

If they find a judge and jury to side with them, they could get treble damage awards.