Lufkin TX: Pilgrim's Pride Starts To Fire 800 Illegal Workers

Lufkin TX: Pilgrim's Pride Starts To Fire 800 Illegal Workers

www.lufkindailynews.com

"If they can't verify the Social Security number, they have to find another job," Hispanic community activist Gabriella Zavalla said. "Some of them, they are giving three days notice, and others they are giving eight days notice, but it's affecting a lot of people. One day in the morning (the Nacogdoches plant) laid off 40 people, then in the afternoon they let another 20 people go. Then one day it was about 100 people."

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I am skeptical of this because I wonder if this may be a ploy to make it look like they are doing something when in reality it is nothng more then a ruse, they are after all the largest poultry firm in the US, so why only 800? What do you think?

www.lufkindailynews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


[edit on 7/20/2007 by shots]

The newspaper is trying to make it seem like it is Texas' problem to feed and house these people who have lost their jobs. I say, let the employers take care of them if they want to.

all i have to say is that they're illegal and we have laws. dont complain to me about losing your job.

I LIVE IN LUFKIN TEXAS and there is a HUGE population of Hispanics here that are always getting thier papers. The "LEGAL" way if there is any they get here illegally and then they come in and gradually take over the region. There are some good people and some bad people just like any other race out there. But the good people are the ones being taken advantage of and the bad people are the ones that are getting away with these crimes because of mostly the good people are the ones not Tafficking the drugs or what not. So they are not the people with the money. I used to work with a lady that gets people papers and what not. Kind of crazy .. There name is ALAMO though and now they own about half of lufkin ... Mostly just the Attourney's and an insurance business and that sort of thing. Rather crazy .. but anyways I will keep up with everything in the local paper here and let you guys knwo what takes place.

Originally posted by jsobecky
I say, let the employers take care of them if they want to.

I think you might just be onto something. It would appear that around the first they put 50 tons in East Texas food banks. I Wonder if they wanted to make sure the ones they fired had food?

Tons and tons of chicken - 50 tons in all

I'm sure they anticipated it. But that is typical of Americans. We are a very generous people and go out of our way to assist those down on their luck.

the same old people tearing apart the USA one bit at a time. Even though its constantly denied here it is in black & white for you.


BTW how is getting rid of our work force and causing prices to skyrocket considered american generosity??

"This goes way beyond the company here," Reyes said. "I guarantee you that the production managers don't want this to happen. The end result is they are going to lose a big part of their labor force, and it's going to be the consumer who is going to pay the price. You can say what you want about them, but those guys work. They may be here illegally, but they will work two shifts or three shifts or four shifts or whatever you want them to do, as long as they have a job. If they (the company) have to get rid of them, they will have to hire new people and pay overtime, and that's going to cost us a lot more in the long run."

Now lets see if this company can stay competitive and in business for much longer or perhaps some South American company will realize that there will be a gap to be filled once they are forced to raise their prices.
Maybe China will start exporting Chickens since they are doing well with Seafood and putting American companies out of business.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
Chickens since they are doing well with Seafood and putting American companies out of business.

Obviously you are not keeping yourself up todate on China and how well their seafood is NOT doing. Are YOU?

China Sea Food Fish Ban

FDA bans import of drugged fish from China

Kind of hard to do well when your product has been banned.

Originally posted by shots

Obviously you are not keeping yourself up todate on China and how well their seafood is NOT doing. Are YOU?

Obviously thats my point...we will be inundated with garbage from lower labor rates in crappy countries. In stead of an American product with lower labor rates we will get more 3rd world garbage.

You are mistaken if you think that it put a dent in their exports.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
the same old people tearing apart the USA one bit at a time. Even though its constantly denied here it is in black & white for you.

Who's tearing the USA apart, pieman?

"This goes way beyond the company here," Reyes said. "I guarantee you that the production managers don't want this to happen. The end result is they are going to lose a big part of their labor force, and it's going to be the consumer who is going to pay the price. You can say what you want about them, but those guys work. They may be here illegally, but they will work two shifts or three shifts or four shifts or whatever you want them to do, as long as they have a job. If they (the company) have to get rid of them, they will have to hire new people and pay overtime, and that's going to cost us a lot more in the long run."

Now lets see if this company can stay competitive and in business for much longer or perhaps some South American company will realize that there will be a gap to be filled once they are forced to raise their prices.
Maybe China will start exporting Chickens since they are doing well with Seafood and putting American companies out of business.

Or, more likely, some American entrepeneur will jump in and take over. And in the process, he'll find a way to automate much of the work done by manual labor. The end product will be a cheaper, safer product delivered in a timely manner.

That's what we call capitalism.

On a side note, pieman, do you endorse slave labor? I mean, from the passage you quoted it seems like these people will work long hours with no overtime. Isn't that against labor laws, which are designed to protect the workers? And that's OK with you? Tsk tsk tsk.:shk:

I think this is great. It shows that now companies and their executives are starting to become afraid of getting prosecuted for hiring illegals and are starting to take our existing immigration and labor laws seriously.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
Obviously thats my point...we will be inundated with garbage from lower labor rates in crappy countries. In stead of an American product with lower labor rates we will get more 3rd world garbage.

How can they inundate us with garbage if the product is banned from that country? I know what you meant and the way you worded it your intent was clear you stated China would pick up the slack which as I noted is impossible :shk: At this point in additon to the shrimp you seem to have forgotten The US Banned importing of poultry because of bird flu

You are mistaken if you think that it put a dent in their exports.

It already has to the tune of roughly 10% but you can keep on dreaming

Edit to Update Newsflash

Fri Jul 20, 4:15 AM

BEIJING - China said Friday it had shut down several firms at the heart of food and drug safety scares, its latest move to clean up those industries and salvage its reputation as a reliable exporter.

China Bans Firms From Exporting Goods

looks like I was wrong with my 10 percent you better make it 20 or 30 if not more considering the ban is world wide





[edit on 7/21/2007 by shots]

Ok so its still 70% lol Most of it is farm raised shrimp and fish. Their labor costs are low. They are still doing a lot better then we are economically but if you still want to think they aren't there isn't much I can say to convince you otherwise. They will correct the offenses and get right back to where they were soon enough. The chicken thing is also another temporary setback. They can just open up factories in South America.



Just look at India and how well its doing with its massive Technology centers that are now replacing American backoffice workers...these are not low level laborers , these are white collar jobs being taken. These ARE the types of things taking jobs from common Americans not uneducated laborers and migrant workers.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
Ok so its still 70% lol

Can't you read? China has banned most Exports of Food that is has to be 70% that cannot ship for the time being. And the sea food industry alone is going to take some time to clean up the rivers/farms are full of poision and trust me they cannot just pull a plug let the water out and refill them either

The chicken thing is also another temporary setback. They can just open up factories in South America.

Now that is udder foolishness making a remark like that.

1.The ban has already been in effect for almost a year if not more and you call that temporary???

2. Opening a plant in SA means the labor would be mostly south American not Chinese.

3. the cost of shipping chickens for processing would be cost prohibitive

4. I doubt SA officials would allow them to import for the same reason the US does.

Originally posted by shots
2. Opening a plant in SA means the labor would be mostly south American not Chinese.

What does that have to do with it? The profits still go to china and the wages go to South Americans. We still pay for it with American $.

Originally posted by ThePieMaN
What does that have to do with it? The profits still go to china and the wages go to South Americans. We still pay for it with American $.

Before that can happen China has to open a plant for prcessing chickens and I doubt that will ever happen they want to expand their industrial base first not food but keep on dreaming lots of money in doze chickens, NOT

Has anyone talked about the legal immigrants that want these jobs but don't get them because of corporate greed, or the hospitals that have closed as a result of being forced to provide services, or the americans at the middle end,like programmers, over 50,000 that don't get hired because the companies know how to circumvent DOL rules and hire Indian programmers instead? The activists are screaming here but not in Mexico for change. Illegals whose young threaten hunger strikes because they want free benefits like instate tuition rates while my kid had to pay outofstate rates..which are double? Its obvious its a global economy, but that doesn't mean we have to sell our soul, dilute our vote, all to satisfy big business and Democrats. Its time we penalize these Transnational American companies that have moved out to china and want to sell here by banning their products. Penalize these companies for hiring quasi slaves here ..demagnetize the magnets and the particles will fall off.
Neverunderestimate American willpower and creativity when the going gets tough..that is when we are at our best.

Well I for one think this is a bad idea, as what I think you are missing is the fact the we are making generalised statements about human lives.

Losing a job when you have worked hard for the company is no good for anyone, especially as they are only doing it to cover their backs from further criticism.

Maybe the illegal workers should sue the corp for abuse and overlooking US working practices. Of course they can't, because they have no rights?!

As for legal US citizens, the company will be able to increase the cost of goods to you, and you'll have to pay. Apart form the company, no one wins, and now there are thousands more unemployed people living in the US, adding to the unemployment across the nation. Will your average Joe apply for the jobs and be paid at the same rates as the illegals?

I also heard that the US gov was thinkng about some register for immigrants, which if you join, gives you a bank account, so they could at least try to get another job (where they will be expoited just as before).

I hope they can get other jobs, and I also think the government should take responsibility for them and provide assitance for them to be fully integrated into th US as they have clearly demonstarted that they are contributing to the economy, and can live as respectable citizens within the States.

What would you do if they open all borders which is about to happen anyway?. By this I mean that the North American Union should be implemented right about the time when the US currency rate crashes, which won't be too far away.

If you don't know what I am implying, see below (say Hello to your soon to be fellow citizens)

North American Union




[edit on 22/7/2007 by deaman88]

Originally posted by deaman88
Well I for one think this is a bad idea, as what I think you are missing is the fact the we are making generalised statements about human lives.

Yet you are missing the main point here why? All the company is doing is following the law and no one I have seen has generalized ths as you seem to think, they broke the laws of the US and should be punished or are you sayiing if they break the law it is ok?

[edit on 7/22/2007 by shots]