With the Thanksgiving holiday here, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the workers who process and pack the turkeys that so many of us will consume. When I drive through the state of Iowa and all across … Continued
Bullying in the Work Place & in Our Schools: the Same Problem
Bulling is an obvious problem in this nation, one that’s receiving more and more serious attention in recent times. Young Jamey Rodemeyer, for example, took his life because some other cruel boys were ruthlessly mocking him for his sexual orientation. … Continued
Think Your Summer was Hot? Try Working in the Agricultural Fields of the US.
Much of this country’s food production depends on foreign laborers who come to this country temporarily. The US contracts with other governments to bring workers here to do the “unwanted, unpleasant jobs” that Americans do want to do. These migrants … Continued
Meat-Packing Workers Coalesce after Attack by Supervisor
As many of us know, immigrants are often exploited in the workplace, but many of us aren’t privy to the severe impunity, even physical violence, that their supervisors sometimes display.
Health
Fear and Loathing on the Killing Room Floor
Where animals are slaughtered and processed, where the meat is portioned and packaged, several dangerous elements exist. Processing plants in this country dispense with over 400 head of cattle per hour, which from living animal to fully processed meat is … Continued
Immigration
Immigrants are Vital to Our Communities
A few months back workers were let go from their jobs at a local processing plant in Iowa due to discrepancies with their immigration status. I started to get calls on a cold Monday in January. Workers were in a … Continued
Shows of Unity Permeate this Year’s National Latino Congreso
My experience this past weekend at the National Latino Congreso in Austin, TX, was truly inspiring, as many of us convened together with Latino leaders and grassroots organizers from across the country to raise and explore issues of education, migration, … Continued
Politics
Food workers struggle for justice with tomato pickers in Immokalee
Earlier this month, I along with a few workers from the Midwest joined hundreds of protesters and Immokalee workers in Tampa, Florida. This effort to bring more attention to the plight of food workers started in the northeast and made … Continued
Economy
Immigrant and refugee workers undercut by temp agency hiring
Times are hard and a lot of Americans are having difficulty finding jobs. Immigrants, refugees and other workers of color are having the hardest time. With more states requiring that employers use E-Verify and Form I-9, some face discrimination in … Continued
Immigration
I-9 Verification, riddled with errors, continues to hurt American workers
In 2005, the US initiated the I-9 verification program for employers. The I-9 Form is used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify an employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. Mandatory verification is not good … Continued