100 Arrested at Wal-Mart Construction Site

[Oscarsjava]

LINK

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press WriterFri Nov 18, 9:17 AM ET

Federal immigration agents detained more than 100 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center, authorities said.

The workers, who Wal-Mart said were employed by a subcontractor and not by the retailing giant, were detained Thursday on suspected immigration violations, said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc Raimondi. They were being taken to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers for processing, he said.

More than 50 federal immigration agents, joined by the U.S. Labor Department, Social Security Administration and state police, raided the construction site near Pottsville, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Wal-Mart spokesman Marty Heires said the company would cooperate fully with federal authorities.

"We have written contracts with these subcontractors requiring that they follow all applicable local, state and federal employment laws," he said in a statement.

At least 120 illegal immigrants, most of them from Mexico, were detained, Schuylkill County Sheriff Frank McAndrew said. He said he began investigating the site and contacted federal officials after getting complaints from local tradespeople.

"You've got a situation here where illegal immigrants are coming into Schuylkill County and taking (local union workers') jobs for eight bucks an hour. They are working for poverty wages, and creating unemployment because our skilled tradesmen are out of work," McAndrew said.

In 2003, a raid of 60 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states led to the arrests of 245 illegal workers. An affidavit claimed a pair of senior Wal-Mart executives knew cleaning contractors were hiring illegal immigrants. The retailer agreed to pay $11 million in March to settle the case but denied senior executives knew of the hirings.

---That's all well and good, but they're just applying a band-aid to a gunshot wound. They're not fixing the problem...why don't they take those 50 immigration officers and place them on the border?

[That Guy]

I agree that people should enter the US legally. These 100-245 folfs were working. :east they are not sitting on thier butts sucking up money from the welfate system. I say run them then give them green cards and send them back to work.
Glad I was LUCKY to be born here,this way no one bothers me.

TGY

[RO56]

That Guy: Are you seriously supporting those break the law, and condone REWARDING them (with green cards), simply because they are "working" (illegally, might I add) instead of being on welfare?

[FSCF3801]

That Guy: Are you seriously supporting those break the law, and condone REWARDING them (with green cards), simply because they are "working" (illegally, might I add) instead of being on welfare?

+1RO56

What about all the HARD WORKING AMERICANS who can't get a job becuase some illegal is here taking the jobs at $6/hr!!!!! WTF reward them(illegals) with green cards???? Makes no sense at all.... They are here illegally and should be removed!!!! Illegals cause many problems in the community and are a burden upon ALL of us taxpayers. I doubt these guys were paying any taxes at all :mad:

[That Guy]

Calm down there fellas. No I do not condone breaking the law, like I said I agree with coming here legally like my parents did.

Illegals place a drain on us because thier incomes are not taxed. If they were THIER taxes would be paying for thier services. Right? That is what seperates us from them. We (I assume you guys) were lucky to be born here. We did not have to fight through red tape and hardships to get there inorder to better our lives and families. America is the land of thr free and the land of "Opportunity", thats why they came here.
My point about letting them work is that at least they are not like millions of AMERICANS sitting on thier asses getting a check to do nothing. At least they are working building a Walmart I'm sure you will shop at.


Regarding the pay lets look at simple economics:

Juan earns $6 for busting his *** 10-12 hours a day building a Walmart. No American would put up with that right? No way in hell would be do that for $6hr, am I right?
So we fire him create a union and increase the pay to $12 or better yet $20. So the company has to earn more money since thier profit will go down having to pay employees along with benifits. Where do they look? Well they charge Walmart more money to build, if they had to bid on the contract they just might not get it since they are not the lowest bidder (which means layoffs or total destruction of the company meaning NO ONE HAS A JOB).
If Walmart does pay them then they too must make up the cost which means the pass the bill to you. Then we gripe about the cost of goods and greed to the industry. THIS GOES WITH EVERY PRODUCT YOU BUY OR SERVICES RENDERDED.

If anyone should be complaining about "illegals" if should be the Native Americans.

TGY

[greenlead]

Juan earns $6 for busting his *** 10-12 hours a day building a Walmart. No American would put up with that right? No way in hell would be do that for $6hr, am I right?

Exactly, if that cheap labor was not available, the company would be required to pay legal Americans respectable wages.

[That Guy]

Exactly, if that cheap labor was not available, the company would be required to pay legal Americans respectable wages.

Whats a "respectable wage" amount too? Again if these folks were LEGAL there would be no problem making $6hrs, so lets make themleag and tax themso they can be respected memebers of society. Hell the min wage is UNDER $6.

TGY

[Oscarsjava]

Minimum wage is $6.15 I believe...

An update on this:

LINK

Illegal Workers at Wal-Mart Site Deported

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press WriterSat Nov 19, 4:04 AM ET

Federal officials say the arrest of 125 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center should serve as a warning to employers who hire illegal immigrants.

All 125 workers arrested in the raid will be deported, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials said Friday. The workers from Mexico and Central America were detained Thursday at the site outside Pottsville, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

"Employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens, and those who utilize false documents to gain employment, face significant criminal and administrative charges," said John Kelleghan, acting special agent-in-charge for the immigration agency in Pennsylvania.

Some of the 125 workers, who are from Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, used fake documents to obtain employment with subcontractors, officials said. The arrests came after search warrants were executed for six companies at the site.

The Pennsylvania job site remains shut down, Wal-Mart spokesman Marty Heires said Friday. He did not know when construction would resume.

Agents obtained the search warrants after learning that 10 workers employed by Destin Drywall & Paint were using Social Security numbers that did not match their names.

Another three used Social Security numbers that were never issued by the government, according to an affidavit unsealed Friday at U.S. District Court in Scranton.

Houston-based Destin has worked on Wal-Mart projects around the country, said office manager Cindy Wyman. She said the company verifies that employees are permitted to work in the United States.

"As far as I know, their Social Security numbers are good," Wyman said of the Pennsylvania workers.

A Wal-Mart spokesman has said the detained workers were not employed by Wal-Mart but by the subcontractors. Wal-Mart's contracts with the companies require that they follow local, state and federal employment laws, the company said.

Last month, Wal-Mart shut down work on seven stores under construction in North Dakota to check for illegal aliens after two illegal immigrants working on Wal-Mart projects in Bismarck were charged with molesting two 13-year-old girls. Charges against one of the suspects were dropped after authorities found out he was a juvenile.

In 2003, a raid of 60 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states led to the arrests of 245 illegal workers. An affidavit claimed a pair of senior Wal-Mart executives knew cleaning contractors were hiring illegal immigrants. The retailer agreed to pay $11 million in March to settle the case but denied senior executives knew of the hirings.

[mxwelch]

The problem with the minimun wage is that people think they should start at the top of the scale. No one wants to work their way from the bottom up. It's a product of the "I want it now" society.

[That Guy]

Minimum wage is $6.15 I believe...

Synopsis of Law

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Covered nonexempt workers are entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $5.15 an hour. Overtime pay at a rate of not less than one and one-half times their regular rates of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek.

Dept of Labor

Now each State can set it per thier cost of living. Washington State and Alaska have the highest $7.16/15 and Kansas some how has it set at $2.65(?). States min. wage


TGY

[Oscarsjava]

Hmm...didn't realize that, we have a thing posted at work stating $6.15 as the minimum...not given by NYS, I thought it was federal. Learn something new every day...

[That Guy]

The problem with the minimun wage is that people think they should start at the top of the scale. No one wants to work their way from the bottom up. It's a product of the "I want it now" society.

I agree that people should be paid a fare wage according to the work. Laborers work pretty damn hard as well as fast food employess.
Wages are set by the employer and you know what you are getting. If you do not want to work for $6hr then fine,don't hate those who do.

TGY