Group to protest airline caterer's role in roundup
By CHRIS McGANN SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
An airline catering company abused employees' rights when it helped federal agents conduct a national roundup of falsely documented airport workers last month, the King County Labor Council and dozens of other labor rights, religious and community groups asserted yesterday.
The coalition plans to protest Sky Chefs' actions this morning in the vacant lot across the street from the company's SeaTac kitchen. The complaint: Sky Chefs surpassed its legal obligation when it helped Immigration and Naturalization Service agents by holding a fake meeting for employees who were found to be using fraudulent Social Security numbers.
INS agents arrested 12 illegal immigrants. INS officials were uncertain yesterday whether those Mexican nationals were still in detention or had agreed to leave the country on their own.
The sting was part of Operation Tarmac, a nationwide initiative launched after the Sept. 11 attacks to ensure that anyone with access to secure areas of airports poses "no threat to the American people." Since then, hundreds of people -- including 37 in Seattle -- have been arrested on immigration violations, criminal fraud or misrepresentation charges.
(continued).... "It is preposterous to say this country is safer in the wake of these 12 arrests of food service workers," said Dana Wise, of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union. "None of these workers, as far as I know, had any direct role in airline security. They are food preparers."
Wise said that national security is being used as a smoke screen to weaken union negotiations.
"These arrest happened in the context of nationwide negotiations between employees and Sky Chef about working conditions and benefits," Wise said. "Imagine the impact if some of your co-workers were hauled off by police."
And this would an example of what I was talking about ..