Hundreds of Union Janitors Fired Under Pressure From Feds

[thundley4]

annabanana   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 07:54 PM
Original message
Hundreds of Union Janitors Fired Under Pressure From Feds
   
San Francisco, California - Federal immigration authorities have pressured one of San Francisco's major building service companies, ABM, into firing hundreds of its own workers. Some 475 janitors have been told that unless they can show legal immigration status, they will lose their jobs in the near future.
ABM has been a union company for decades, and many of the workers have been there for years. "They've been working in the buildings downtown for 15, 20, some as many as 27 years," said Olga Miranda, president of Service Employees Local 87. "They've built homes. They've provided for their families. They've sent their kids to college. They're not new workers. They didn't just get here a year ago."
Nevertheless, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security has told ABM that they have flagged the personnel records of those workers. Weeks ago, ICE agents sifted through Social Security records and the I-9 immigration forms all workers have to fill out when they apply for jobs. They then told ABM that the company had to fire 475 workers who were accused of lacking legal immigration status.

http://www.truthout.org/hundreds-union-janitors-fired-u...


ICE is a rogue agency within the DHS. It is full of Bush moles that have burrowed into civil service positions. It now seems to be an agent of the union busting branch of the RW.

DUmmieLand

The Straight Story   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 08:00 PM
Response to Original message
1. So basically, if I understand this article, the company is hiring illegal immigrants?
   
Edited on Fri May-07-10 08:01 PM by The Straight Story
Did they say how many were from Canada?

jody   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 08:59 PM
Response to Original message
2. How can that be when Obama pledged to "Paint the Nation Purple"! Another broken promise? n/t

WeDidIt   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 09:02 PM
Response to Original message
3. If they are undocumented, ABM should be punished. n/t

Donnachaidh   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 09:18 PM
Response to Original message
4. And ABM should have their asses fined to the pits if they have been hiring illegals.
   
ABM made money off these folks. How many legal residents were bypassed because they could hire an illegal for a cheaper rate?

They need to go after the employers!

ProgressiveProfessor   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 10:13 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. As I understand it, there is a very specific process and ABM followed it
   
Edited on Fri May-07-10 10:14 PM by ProgressiveProfessor
As part of it they provided docs to the Feds. For the people at risk, the Feds have responded with no match notifications. The workers have to fix the problem or get fired. Its actually the way it is supposed to work.

My source for this is a friend and college prof up there who is incensed about the burden of proof being placed on the workers and the risk of error.

kelly1mm (614 posts)           Fri May-07-10 09:58 PM
Response to Original message
5. Good! I know lots of US citizen/legal immigrant Californians who
   
would jump at the chance for a union job now.

lonestarnot   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 10:17 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. So you would separate a mother from her kids that has worked for 27 ****ing years as a janitor and
   
send her to Mexico because someone wants her job?

The Straight Story   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 11:05 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Difference between deporting someone and firing them (nt)
   
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lonestarnot   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 11:15 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. Well isn't that the logical next step?
   
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The Straight Story   (1000+ posts)             Fri May-07-10 11:25 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. Whether or not it is, the article was talking about firing them- what do you think should be done?
   
Companies use people like this, take advantage of them, and hurt other workers in the process.

They pay lower wages, no benefits, etc and get away with it because those people can't complain.

Perhaps at this point the govt can step in and help them through the process that many others go through to become citizens - but then those companies won't want them anymore.

Damn. This has the DUmmies flummoxed.  Illegals taking good paying union jobs. 

[Chris]

To DUmmies, enforcing the law is wrong unless the target of that enforcement doesn't share their political views.

[The Village Idiot]

My source for this is a friend and college prof up there who is incensed about the burden of proof being placed on the workers and the risk of error

Having a real Social Security number is such a heavy burden, da' horror

[Texacon]

First, DUmmies, who is the boss of the ICE??  Hmmmm

Second,

WeDidIt   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 09:02 PM
Response to Original message
3. If they are undocumented, ABM should be punished. n/t


Quote
Donnachaidh   (1000+ posts)           Fri May-07-10 09:18 PM
Response to Original message
4. And ABM should have their asses fined to the pits if they have been hiring illegals.
   
ABM made money off these folks. How many legal residents were bypassed because they could hire an illegal for a cheaper rate?

They need to go after the employers!

They never want to take the next step.  Yup, if you find a company KNOWINGLY hiring illegals then they should be fined to the ground BUT all those people must be deported.  What happened to your thoughts on "We're a country based on Rule of Law"?!

Third, FGL;  A lot of those people have REAL SS numbers .... they just have someone else's number!  I check credit reports all the time and I can't tell you how many people I have to call and ask "Do you know who Maria Martinez is?"  "No, that's not an alias of yours?"  "Ok, so this isn't a family friend or ANYONE you know?"  "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this person has been using your SS# for the past 5 years ... you need to contact the SS administration to straighten this out and make sure no one is drawing out your benefits."

Fourth,

lonestarnot   (1000+ posts)           

Fri May-07-10 10:17 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. So you would separate a mother from her kids that has worked for 27 ****ing years as a janitor and
   
send her to Mexico because someone wants her job?

Uhhhh no.  I would deport her ass because she broke the laws of immigration of my Country!  What is so hard to understand about that?  If she broke into your damn house how nice would you be to her??  This is the same damn thing.  It is breaking and entering on a large scale and there are consequences.

KC

[The Village Idiot]

FGL;  A lot of those people have REAL SS numbers .... they just have someone else's number!  I check credit reports all the time and I can't tell you how many people I have to call and ask "Do you know who Maria Martinez is?"  "No, that's not an alias of yours?"  "Ok, so this isn't a family friend or ANYONE you know?"  "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this person has been using your SS# for the past 5 years ... you need to contact the SS administration to straighten this out and make sure no one is drawing out your benefits."

Yep, they sell them in public too. Like MacArthur Park in LA and Traders Village in Grand Prairie TX

[Texacon]

Yep, they sell them in public too. Like MacArthur Park in LA and Traders Village in Grand Prairie TX

And if you know that then a lot of people know that.  If a lot of people know that then how come we aren't busting these people's asses.

I went through YEARS of grief in the 80's and 90's because I refused to give my SS# out to people.  Now everyone is saying 'don't give your number out!!!'

The only people who get my number are creditors/employers/financial planners.  That's it.  I still wouldn't be surprised to find out it is out there somewhere but I've done my part.

KC

[Freeper]

So its ok for the feds to ask for their papers but if the state of AZ does it's racism. 

[cavegal]

So this company has been hiring them for YEARS? Why fire them NOW? I say fire, deport. Who did this company p!$$ off for them to start now?

[DumbAss Tanker]

So this company has been hiring them for YEARS? Why fire them NOW? I say fire, deport. Who did this company p!$$ off for them to start now?

There is a "Night of the Long Knives" coming for the Democrats, with the SEIU starring in the role of the too-rad9cal SA and featuring a rather ironic appearance of the semi-Jewish Rahmbo as the murderously-anti-Semitic Heinrich Himmler, who sees the cost of having a large organized force that he doesn't directly control on his side as increasingly offsetting the positives.

[miskie]

A lot of those people have REAL SS numbers .... they just have someone else's number!  I check credit reports all the time and I can't tell you how many people I have to call and ask "Do you know who Maria Martinez is?"  "No, that's not an alias of yours?"  "Ok, so this isn't a family friend or ANYONE you know?"  "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this person has been using your SS# for the past 5 years ... you need to contact the SS administration to straighten this out and make sure no one is drawing out your benefits."

When I was young, maybe 18, I couldn't get a postage stamp on credit, and finally got a credit report pulled. Turns out I had defaulted on a credit card, and left behind an unpaid 800 dollar balance.

Only problem was I happened to be 5 at the time of the default.

Before it was cleared up, I then reapplied for what I wanted, mentioned the default in jest, and the creditor, who wasn't the brightest bulb on the planet, wanted to know if I had since paid the debt. I told him no, explained it was from when I was five, and then he covered his ass by saying its possible to get a credit card that young... Yeah, all of those 5 year olds racking up charges at the local toy store on their Visas.. Happens all the time 

[Karin]

In local illegal alien news, I heard on the radio at 10:00 this morning:  "A man was pulled over on State Route Whatever for having an obstructed windshield.  It turns out he was an illegal resident from Honduras, and has been taken into custody." 

Isn't this the exact same thing that AZ is going to do?  No riots in the streets of Cowtown, NY, yet. 

[The Village Idiot]

Isn't this the exact same thing that AZ is going to do?  No riots in the streets of Cowtown, NY, yet. 

My city has been doing it for years, no real problems

[BlueStateSaint]

In local illegal alien news, I heard on the radio at 10:00 this morning:  "A man was pulled over on State Route Whatever for having an obstructed windshield.  It turns out he was an illegal resident from Honduras, and has been taken into custody." 

Isn't this the exact same thing that AZ is going to do?  No riots in the streets of Cowtown, NY, yet. 

You can bet dollars to doughnuts that Saratoga Race Course will have an ICE raid this year.  Probably in the first week or two.  Since they added four days to the schedule, they might do a double.

[PatriotGame]

Bush - the anti liberal America hating dick-sucking leftist bong sucking democrat criminal antagonist pricks gift that just keeps on giving!

[miskie]

In local illegal alien news, I heard on the radio at 10:00 this morning:  "A man was pulled over on State Route Whatever for having an obstructed windshield.  It turns out he was an illegal resident from Honduras, and has been taken into custody." 

Isn't this the exact same thing that AZ is going to do?  No riots in the streets of Cowtown, NY, yet. 

One needs to remember that a large percentage of Mexican illegals consider the southern border states illegally occupied Mexican land, and are hell bent on taking them back.

[thundley4]

One needs to remember that a large percentage of Mexican illegals consider the southern border states illegally occupied Mexican land, and are hell bent on taking them back.

Let them Have California.