Suit: Oberweis milked illegal labor

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 11/9/05 | Rummana Hussain

[lonewacko_dot_com]

[Title: "Suit: Oberweis milked illegal labor"]

Two undocumented workers from Mexico have filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor alleging Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis and a Lake in the Hills subcontractor paid them well below minimum wage to clean three suburban Oberweis ice cream shops.

Immigrant rights activists said although Oberweis was unaware that Rosa Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra were allegedly hired and exploited by the subcontractor for a mere $3.23 an hour, as chairman of Oberweis Dairy, he is still responsible. They further characterized the gubernatorial candidate as a "hypocrite," since he blamed illegal immigrants for destroying the country's economy in his failed bid for U.S. Senate last year...

Oberweis, who said he would never knowingly hire undocumented workers, questioned the timing of the complaint, which was formally filed Thursday by the [Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights] and Chicago Workers' Day Laborer Collaboration. He said Ramirez and Ibarra, 34, were "plants" set up by the groups who videotaped the two mopping the stores' floors and wiping its windows...

[lonewacko_dot_com]

The Coalition's executive director is Joshua Hoyt. They also organized a march in Aurora IL recently. They support the AgJobs amnesty. And, the Chicago Tribune ran some pro-illegal immigration propaganda in which they were involved.

For more on this story, see this and this.

Obviously, it's interesting that groups that make illegal immigration possible are complaining about the result of their actions. Oberweis wants to stop illegal immigration, and if the U.S. did what he wants things like this wouldn't be an issue. How ironic.

And, before, during, or after doing their videotaping, I wonder if any of these "immigrant's rights groups" transported or sheltered the illegal aliens.

[ncountylee]

Really smells.

[oolatec]

And it's not dairy that's past their expiration date.

[PositiveCogins]

I doesn't matter he is still responsible for having the wetbacks on his property. When I sign a contract with my subs they have to acknowledge that no illegal aliens are allowed on the property. This saves mine and my customers butts from these lawsuits. If I can do it, he sure as heck can, so off to jail or what ever with him.

[clee1]

What's that I smell????

Smells like Rat shizzle.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

I doubt whether someone who campaigns against illegal immigration and who intends to run for governor on that would be foolish enough to allow a subcontractor to hire illegal aliens.

And, here's the Chicago Tribune trying to cash in on this:

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/13126500.htm

Their suggestion that "Maybe Oberweis will stop screaming about "smear tactics"" is followed shortly by a suggestion that he watch the DVD shot by the "immigrant's rights groups".

[dannyboy72]

Although Ramirez and Ibarra could face deportation, since they are illegally in the United States, their attorneys say that's unlikely because they are, effectively, whistleblowers.

So now all you have to do is come to this country and tell a newspaper you're here illegally and you are now a "Whistleblower" and entitled to stay in this country? That's just wonderful news! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to hear a lawyer tell me that my country can be invaded and I can't send the invading army back to it's own country. How nice.

[PositiveCogins]

"foolish enough to allow a subcontractor to hire illegal aliens."

Evidently he was. A contract specifically saying no illegal aliens would put the whole thing on the contractors shoulders. Then it would have been a slam dunk to put this down as a setup. Also here is a good sign, my legal American citizen sheet-rock contractor just furnished a job with no, zero, nada punch list. I did ask them for prof of citizenship and it was no problem. They were very proud and was glad that I asked. Most legal aliens that I check are glad that I do. They don't like the wetbacks either. Like I say, if I can do it He sure as heck can too.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

If some leftist group is out to get you as they obviously were in this case, they could probably find a way. Even if you did all the checking in the world some could lie and use forged documents. If the entrenched politicians wanted to get you they would. What happened here doesn't mean the man was dumb or careless.

[flaglady47]

If some leftist group is out to get you as they obviously were in this case, they could probably find a way.

I live in Illinois, and Jim Oberweiss is the only one who has the guts to make the illegal alien situation, which is rampant in this State, a campaign issue. This is a setup, pure and simple. The Dems in this State are dirty pool players (as most Dems are) and are out to knock Oberweiss down, as I believe they perceive him to be the biggest threat to Blagoyevich in the next election in 2006. Many in our State are sick of the illegal alien problem, the fact that they get in-state tuition really rankles. So don't knock Oberweiss or paint him as a fool as he is being attacked by a bunch of rotten Dems in conjunction w/illegal immigrant groups. They love to make him look like he is as guilty of hiring illegals as the next Joe, when, in reality, if he had had a whiff of their being hired, he would have gotten rid of them in a New York minute.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Thanks for the insight. I was attempting to say the same as you.

Years ago, when the illegal problem wasn't nearly as bad as now, I read some surprising information. It said the the cities with the largest Hispanic populations, many illegal, were L.A. (no surprise), Houston (no surprise), and Chicago (Big Suprise!).

[mmercier]

I could hand over a dozen illegals working for subcontractors today. I bet that some of them would testify in return for amnesty, but most would not as they consider themselves Guatemalan and Mexican and have no desire to be American.

Strangely I believe that only those working for Republican gubernatorial candidates would matter to anyone.