Some workers leave T.J. Maxx jobs after company seeks documents

WHAS 11 ^ | 11/23/2003 | Associated Press

[yonif]

More than 200 workers at a T.J. Maxx distribution center in southern Indiana have walked away from their jobs since the company asked to see immigration documents to determine whether employees were working legally in the United States.

Problems with undocumented workers began surfacing at the plant after the company, owned by The TJX Companies Inc. of Framingham, Mass., hired a consultant to check on the immigrant status of workers. The company has five distribution centers and 41,500 employees nationwide.

The check found discrepancies in the documentation of 261 workers at the company's distribution center in Evansville, which employs about 1,700.

Beginning Nov. 6, T.J. Maxx asked workers to produce documents showing they were working in this country legally or risk being fired. Almost immediately, some workers left their jobs.

Company officials have refused to comment.

"We have dealt with this situation in an appropriate manner," company spokeswoman Sherry Lang said, declining to elaborate.

Union officials have also declined to comment. Local 312 of UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, represents the company's hourly workers.

T.J. Maxx came under fire earlier this year at its facility in Pittston Township, Pa., when a search of 180 job applications by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revealed 90 illegal workers, according to a September report by the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

T.J. Maxx is not the only company that has attracted attention recently for employing undocumented workers.

In October, federal agents raided 60 Wal-Mart stores across the nation and arrested more than 250 illegal immigrants who worked as janitors for outside contractors used by Wal-Mart. The company then announced it would review the status of its 1.1 million U.S. employees and fire any illegal immigrants.

___

On the Net:

T.J. Maxx: http://www.tjmaxx.com

[Psycho_Bunny]

Good for them.

[thinking]

Get rid of the thousands of illegals and the unemployment rate would drop 3 points....

[JoeSchem]

The check found discrepancies in the documentation of 261 workers at the company's distribution center in Evansville, which employs about 1,700.

Meaning that about fifteen percent of TJ Maxx jobs are going to illegals. People wonder why the unemployment rate remains high in a booming economy, it's because the jobs are going to 'undocumented' workers.

Maybe Karl Rove is starting to realize that these undocs do not vote for you, neither do they pay the taxes that pay your salary.

We need to start putting corporate HR personnel in jail for hiring undocs, and you'll see the unemployment rate drop overnight by half!

[BJungNan]

Get rid of the thousands of illegals and the unemployment rate would drop 3 points....

If you believe that people start at the bottom and then work their way up the company ladder - as I do - then you are exactly correct.

[TSgt]

"Union officials have also declined to comment. Local 312 of UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, represents the company's hourly workers."

I thought Union's protected American jobs?

I thought illegal workers only took jobs that Americans didn't want?

/sarcasm

[fightu4it]

In the same area a company called Ameriqual, which makes MRE's for the military, had a similar situation this year when a large portion of their work force fled the building when they thought that INS agents were on their way there to inspect worker's documentation.

The illegals fled into the country-side never to be caught or deported.

[fightu4it]

Perdue Farms with it's turkey houses north of Evansville and Tyson Foods with it's chicken houses just across the Ohio river in Kentucky are responsible for the flood of illegals we have in this area.

It's high time the INS came in here and did the damn job they are being paid to do! I wish the local sheriff had the balls to do something about it but to date he hasn't even acknowledged the problem.

[Tacis]

The dems hate this!! The jobs the Mexican criminals had belong to entry level black youths. When these black kids get jobs they become less dependent on the dem enabler and are more likely to see that the dems have kept them in bondage for 60 years.

The social seccurity numbers of the now missing Mexicans should be frozen and their last known residences visited by homeland security forces with those who speak Spanish, deported, and those who speak Arabic, arrested.

The missing Mexicans criminals, each of whom probably has 1 to 5 years with this company, will trade documents and socal security numbers and in 30 years, sue for maximum benefits that any governmental entity provides to Americans. And, there will be neocommunists in Congress who agree.

[sarcasm]

Endorsers:

• Local 10 of UNITE
• Local 5197 Maryland AFT Healthcare
• Local 62-32 UNITE
• Local 89-22-1 of UNITE
• Local 919 UNITE

[TSgt]

God, how stupid could American Union workers be to allow this?

"Please, please take my job away. I'm begging you, please give my job to an illegal worker. I'll even pay dues so that you can make this happen. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE TAKE MY JOB AWAY FROM ME!"

[sarcasm]

Full List:

Labor Organizations

• Laborers' Latino Caucus
• 1199/SEIU
• 1199J/NUHHCE/AFSCME
• 3rd Street Community Center
• A. Philip Randolph Institute
• A. Phillip Randolph Institute, San Francisco Chapter
• AFL-CIO of Greater Kansas City
• AFSCME
• AFSCME 3299
• AFSCME Council 14
• AFSCME Local 107
• AFSCME Local 215
• AFSCME Local 389
• AFSCME Local 95
• AFT Staff Guild, 1521A
• Alabama Democratic Labor Caucus
• Alameda County Central Labor Council
• Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
• Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Local 1287
• American Federation of Governement Employees, Local 3197
• AFL-CIO
• American Federation of Musicians
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees DC 1707
• American Federation of Teachers
• American Federation of Teachers, Health Care Local 5197
• American Postal Workers Union
• American Postal Workers Union, Local 67
• American Postal Workers' Union, San Francisco Local
• Anchorage Central Labor Council
• APRI Metro NY Chapter
• Arizona State AFL-CIO
• Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
• Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), East Bay
• Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), San Francisco Chapter
• Atlanta Central Labor Council
• Atlanta Labor Council
• Auraria Jobs With Justice-SLAP of the Auraria Campus, Denver
• Austin, Texas AFL-CIO
• Austin, Texas Central Labor Council
• Brotherhood of Teamsters, Joint Council 7
• Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 665
• Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 70
• BUW Council Utility Workers' Union of America (UWUA)
• California Faculty Association, San Francisco State University
• California Federation of Labor
• California Teachers' Union
• Campaign for Labor Rights
• Capital District Area Labor Federation
• Carpenter's Local 1068
• Carpenters Local 1314
• Cement Masons, Local 400
• Center for Working Life
• Centro Campesino
• Chicago Federation of Labor
• Chicago Jobs with Justice
• CLUW, NYC Chapter
• Coalition for Labor Union Women (CLUW), KS Chapter
• Coalition for Labor Union Women (CLUW), San Francisco Chapter
• Coalition for Union Retirees
• Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
• Coalition of Black Trade Unionists New York City
• Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, DC Chapter
• Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, MS Chapter
• Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)
• Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)
• Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)-Chicago
• Colorado AFL-CIO
• Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 9421
• Communications Workers of America
• Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 6327
• Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 7777
• Consortium for Worker Education
• Contra Costa Central Labor Council
• CWA Local 1180
• CWA Local 4320
• CWA Local 9000
• CWA Local 9400
• CWA 9505
• CWA Local 9586
• CWA/Macon CLC
• Dallas AFL-CIO Council
• Denver Area Labor Federation
• District 15 IAMAW
• District Council 1707, AFSCME
• District Council of Ironworkers
• Doctor's Council, Local 10MD SEIU
• Duluth, AFL-CIO Central Labor Body
• El Paso Central Labor Union
• Farm Labor Organizing Committee
• Federation of Retired Union Members, Alameda County
• Filipino Workers Action Center
• Georgia State UAW-CAP Council
• Graduate Employees and Students Organization (GESO), Federation of Hospital & University Employees at Yale University, HERE
• Graphic Communications International Union, Local 235M
• Greater Louisville Central Labor Council
• Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
• Greater Syracuse Labor council, AFL-CIO
• Guyanese-American Workers United
• Harris County AFL-CIO Council
• Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center/Labor Studies
• HERE Local 1
• HERE Local 11
• HERE Local 19
• HERE Local 2
• HERE Local 21
• HERE Local 217
• HERE Local 2850
• HERE Local 450
• HERE Local 483
• HERE Local 49
• HERE Local 5
• HERE Local 7
• Hispanic Labor Committee
• Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Int'l Union (HERE)
• Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL
• IAM LL 2766
• IAM Local 340
• IAM Local 639
• IAM Local 733
• IAM Local 774
• IAM Local 834
• IATSE
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
• International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 42
• International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Lodge 340
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Lodge 1546
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 46
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 613
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 70
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 716
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, (IBEW) Local 43
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Arizona
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• International Laborers & Warehouse Union, Local 34
• International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades 1437
• Int'l Fed/Profesional & Technical Engineers
• Int'l Union of Painters & Allied Trades
• Ironworker's Union, Local 378
• Jewish Labor Committee
• Jobs With Justice
• Kansas City Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel, Local 691
• Kansas Farmer's Union
• Kansas Workbeat
• King County Labor Council AFL-CIO
• Knoxville Oakridge Central Labor Council
• Labor & Religion Outreach Committee, Baltimore AFL-CIO
• Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
• Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), San Francisco Chapter
• Labor Heritage Foundation
• Labor Support Committee, Northern California Media Workers Union
• Laborers International Union of North America Local 734
• Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA)
• Laborers Local 261
• Laborers Local 270
• LaborGroups.org
• LEROF
• LIUNA Local 271
• LIUNA Public Employees Local 1033
• Local 10 of UNITE
• Local 5197 Maryland AFT Healthcare
• Local 62-32 UNITE
• Local 89-22-1 of UNITE
• Local 919 UNITE
• Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
• Manufacturer and Distributor of Coffee and Related Items
• MCGEO UFCW Local 1994
• MD State/DC AFL-CIO
• Metro-Detroit CLUW
• Metropolitan Baltimore Council, AFL-CIO
• Mid-Atlantic Region of UNITE!
• Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council
• Mississippi Alliance of State Employees/CWA
• Montana Community-Labor Alliance
• Monterey Bay Central Labor Council
• Musicians' Union, Local 6
• National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, Local 53
• National Association of Letter Carriers, Local 30
• National COSH Network
• National Day Laborer Organizing Network
• National Education Association
• National Educational Association of Rhode Island
• NEHCEU District 1199-SEIU
• New Haven Central Labor Council
• New Jersey State AFL-CIO
• New York City Central Chapter of Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
• New York City Labor Against the War
• New York City Labor-Religion Coalition
• New York State United Teachers
• North Shore Labor Council, MA
• North Texas Jobs with Justice Organizing Committee
• Northern California Carpenter's Regional Council
• Northern California District Council of Laborers
• NYS Nurses Association
• Office & Professional Employees International Union
• Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 8
• Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 29
• Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 3
• Oregona Labor Council
• Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union (PACE) 3-265
• Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE) Local 8-675
• Pierce County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
• Pipe Fitters, Local 533
• Plumbers and Steamfitters, Local 3934
• Pride at Work
• Providence Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
• Quad City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
• Rhode ISland AFL-CIO
• Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals
• Rhode Island Student Labor Action Project
• RICOSH
• Rocky Mountain Regional Council of Carpenters
• Rodman Local 201
• Roofers and Waterproofers-Local 81
• Roofers and Waterprrofers-Local 95
• Rural Organizing Project
• RWDSU/UFCW
• Sacramento AFL-CIO
• Saint Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly
• San Antonio AFL-CIO
• San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council
• San Francisco Labor Council
• San Francisco Maritime Trades
• Seafarers International
• SEIU 1199E-DC
• SEIU Local 1
• SEIU Local 134
• SEIU Local 150
• SEIU Local 1877
• SEIU Local 32BJ
• SEIU Local 399
• SEIU Local 434B
• SEIU Local 535
• SEIU Local 55
• SEIU Local 616
• SEIU Local 660
• SEIU Local 660, Chapter 787
• SEIU Local 82
• SEIU Local 881
• SEIU Local 925
• SEIU Local 99
• SEIU Western Region
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 105
• Service Employees International Union, Local 250
• Service Employees International Union, Local 790
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 33
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 484
• Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 49
• Social Service Employees Union Local 371, DC 37, AFSCME
• South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council
• South Central Federation of Labor (Madison, WI), AFL-CIO
• South Florida AFL-CIO (Miami)
• Southeast Michigan Jobs with Justice
• Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
• Southern California Council of Communications Workers of America
• Southern Organizing Committee
• Southwest Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO
• Southwest Workers' Union
• Spokane Regional Labor Council
• St. Louis Worker Rights Board
• STITCH: Organizers for Labor Justice
• Student Action With Farmworkers
• Sweatshop Watch
• Syracuse Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO
• Teamsters, Local 541
• Teamsters, Local 961
• Transport Workers Union
• Transportation Workers' Union, Local 250A
• Twin Cities Local of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
• UAW Local 276
• UAW Local 600
• UAW Region 5
• UFCW Local 1001
• UFCW Local 1546
• UFCW, Local 2
• UFCW Local 27
• UFCW Local 325
• UFCW Local 328
• UFCW Local 348-S
• UFCW Local 400
• UFCW Local 881
• UFCW, Local 1445, Boston
• Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees (UNITE!)
• Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, Local 75
• Union Privilege
• United Auto Workers Local 10
• United Auto Workers, Local 2244
• United Auto Workers, Local 31
• United Farm Workers of America
• United Federation of Teachers
• United Food & Commercial Workers Union (UFCW)
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Local 990
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Region 5
• United Food and Commercial Workers Minority Coalition
• United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 428
• United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 101
• United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 120
• United Labor Agency - Cleveland
• United Master Executive Council, Association of Flight Attendants, AFL-CIO
• United Steelworkers of America
• United Steelworkers, District 11
• United Teachers Los Angeles, Bilingual Education Committee
• Utility Workers
• UTLA
• UWUA 132
• Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO
• Western North Carolina Central Labor Council
• Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation Labor Federation
• Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
• Wyoming State AFL-CIO
• Yakima & South Counties Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

[Hildy]

I don't get it...everytime I've gone for a job, they ask to see your Driver's license or Social Security card. Don't they do that anymore?

[Go Gordon]

Meaning that about fifteen percent of TJ Maxx jobs are going to illegals. People wonder why the unemployment rate remains high in a booming economy, it's because the jobs are going to 'undocumented' workers.

If ALL illegals were kicked out, we would have a labor shortage. It seems like we need to get a grip on illegals, AND implement a work visa program.

[usadave]

More than 200 workers at a T.J. Maxx distribution center in southern Indiana have walked away from their jobs since the company asked to see immigration documents to determine whether employees were working legally in the United States.

Good. I hope that T.J. Maxx hires 200 AMERICAN workers to replace them.

[mewzilla]

Sure they do, but they don't vet the documents. Better way to deal with this is every couple of weeks someone should stand in the middle of the place of employment and yell La Migra!!!, then the boss should fire anyone who bugs.

[mewzilla]

And so I won't be accused of picking on Hispanic illegals, this should be done in a variety of languages.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The check found discrepancies in the documentation of 261 workers at the company's distribution center in Evansville

There is an INS form that MUST be filled out when you take a new job. The employer MUST verify two legal documents proving legal status of the new hire. Birth certificate, driver's license, social sucurity card, etc...etc...

Why is it that TJX did not comply with this regulation? Why is it that TJX is not in trouble for failure to comply? Why?

[mewzilla]

You ever worked retail? You think the managers of these places can tell a fake doc from the real thing if the ink's dry? I like my solution better.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I don't get it...everytime I've gone for a job, they ask to see your Driver's license or Social Security card. Don't they do that anymore?

Sure. They ask to see both or a US passport and if you are not a citizen they ask to see your green card. (Which BTW isn't green). You can buy a driver's license, SS card or green card for between $100.00-500.00 each depending on the quality. A US passport cost between $1000.00-2000.00.

That is why you hire a company to run a background check to see if they are fraudulent. Of course there is always the chance that the documents are real but the applicant’s isn’t the person identified in the documents. Still haven't figured out how we are supposed to check that one.