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Home Front: Culture Wars
Illegal Aliens Fired For Attending Protest
2006-04-12
Apparently they were a little unclear on the "cause and effect" thingy....
A manager at a Detroit meatpacking plant said Monday that 15 immigrant women were fired last month after attending a protest for immigrant rights. He said they had been told that they would be terminated if they missed work on the day of the protest.

But the workers and an activist working on their behalf said the women were given no such assurances. If the workers knew they would have been fired for attending the March 27 rally in Detroit, they never would have skipped the morning shift, said Elena Herrada, a Detroit activist who is trying to help the women get their jobs back.
An illegal ditches work and then complains of being fired. Will wonders never cease.
Herrada and about 20 union officials went Monday to Wolverine Packing Co. offices on Rivard to inquire about what happened. They were given a letter signed by general manager Jay Bonahoom, explaining why the workers were terminated.

Some of the Wolverine workers were illegal aliens undocumented, Herrada and one of the workers said, and wanted to march in the Detroit rally to show their support for immigrant rights. The next morning, when the women reported to work for their shifts as meat cutters, a supervisor told them to clean out their lockers and go home.

Bonahoom said that as far as Wolverine knows, the workers were documented, but an employment agency does the actual hiring. He said the workers had been told, "written and verbally," on the Friday before the protests that their attendance was mandatory on the day of the protest.
So there's a paper trail.
They were fired "for criminal stupidity standing up for their rights," Herrada said.

The fired workers were natives of Mexico and many had worked at the plant for several years. Most have children and are worried about supporting their families, Herrada said.
Apparently not worried enough...
An inability to connect 'cause' and 'effect' is a worldwide problem ...
Many were employed by Minuteman Staffing. So when Wolverine wanted to fire the workers, the meatpacking company told Minuteman to let go of the workers, he said. A manager with Minuteman said he couldn't comment on the case.
Think Immigration will crack down on Minuteman Staffing? Nah, me either.
But the workers say they were treated wrongly. "It was not fair," whined said Mercedes, a 31-year-old Detroit woman who attended the rally and was fired. "We went to fight for our rights." Mercedes is undocumented and asked that her last name not be used.
Well, now she can fight for her rights all day long...
It's the French model, DB, you're supposed to get paid for fighting for your rights ...
"It was really unfair of a company to do that," said Edith Castillo, head of the Detroit-based Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development.
Here's a little info on Ms. Castillo. The named organization is a part of the National Council for La Raza.
Posted by:Desert Blondie

#13  One thing you have to understand, they actually have an argument to stand on. It may not work in most cases, but they can make it. Very grey area in this case for a few reasons.

Temp / Contract Agency: Their rules aplly and if the customer says 'so and so is not working out' that is it.

Packing Company: They can warn and fuss all they want. But, if the employees claim they were protesting for their working environment / conditions there is nothing they can do.

Now we all know they were not protesting for working condition issues but for illegal alien rights. However, if they claim that it was working conditions, well all is up in the air.

Add a union, an activist, a paper trail, etc in the mix and this is going to be messy.

Anyway, point is they CAN skip work for a protest, but only if it is for a work / conditions protest.
Posted by: bombay   2006-04-12 22:26  

#12  The argument for the illegal traffic is not much different then the arguments for slave trading and slavery. Move it back to 1858 and you could see similar arguments from the south.
Posted by: 3dc   2006-04-12 19:20  

#11  It was really unfair...

I think its unfair some people believe they can ignore the law. I think it is unfair that some people can use color, race, national origin, gender or sexual preference to avoid complying with what the rest of society is suppose to obey. I think it is unfair that you get away with cheering your nationalism but mine is discounted. I think it is unfair to demand more of America than you demand of the rest of the countries of the world. I think is unfair to use perfection as the standard by which America is ajudged when no other mass culture in history has ever attained said standard.

You've demonstrated that it is not about 'fair' or justice or equality. You've demonstrated it is all about power.
Posted by: Ulerese Flereting3313   2006-04-12 13:58  

#10  Habla al mano, bebe.
Posted by: mojo   2006-04-12 10:47  

#9  As well as the unions for representing the illegal aliens.

*sniff*

I smell a RICO. What a pity I've never gotten whiff of a federal prosecutor with balls.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2006-04-12 10:19  

#8  Look for a congressional bill soon that will officially declare Cinco De Mayo as a day of celebration for Human Rights and a US Federal holiday.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-04-12 10:11  

#7  Â“If the workers knew they would have been fired for attending the March 27 rally in Detroit, they never would have skipped the morning shift.” Ok somebody tell me a job that you can just “skip the morning shift” and expect to still be employed when you decide to return? I wonÂ’t even address the shear audacity of demanding rights in a country to which they illegally immigrated. I only hope the INS finds out their names and promptly returns these newly unemployed ILLEGAL immigrants to their home country.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-04-12 10:11  

#6  And about the '06 and '08 elections.
Posted by: lotp   2006-04-12 10:10  

#5  "We went to fight for our rights."

When dissected this logic is the foundation for the entire illegal immigration debate. This is why those that pander to the elite and special interest groups are reluctant to honestly discuss this issue. This is why that when confronted with facts that don’t support their narrative: they instinctively resort to name-calling or spin the debate to economics, race, or some other anecdotal topic. Some argue that it cynical or paranoid to suggest that there is an ulterior motive at play. However, a reasonable question is; why would those that traditionally manipulate the masses for their own gain wish to grant “additional” rights? This is not about exclusionary laws nor is it about inalienable human dignity. This is about international “rights” that transcend national sovereignty.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2006-04-12 10:03  

#4  Sometimes I think we should adopt the Citizneship Standards of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Only people who volunteer for federal service can become citizens and have the right to vote. "If you are not willing to support and defend a State then you are not entitled to protection by that State". Lazarus Long.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-04-12 09:49  

#3  Oops!
Posted by: Humble pie   2006-04-12 09:38  

#2  Looks like we need to crack down on 'employment agencies' who rent slaves to companies like this. Doesn't Walmart also use this deniability?

As well as the unions for representing the illegal aliens. (yeah right... good luck pushing that thru congress....).
Posted by: CrazyFool   2006-04-12 09:02  

#1  My, my. Nowhere in this story do I see the word "ILLEGAL". I take it that's a major faux pas with the smart set...
Posted by: tu3031   2006-04-12 08:50  

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