The following statement was released to the media a few moments ago by “Lubicom”.
As part of the ongoing effort to enhance compliance with immigration and employment law, Agriprocessors has retained Jim Martin and his compliance specialty group, The Prevene Group, as the company’s outside Corporate Compliance Officer. Martin, a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, will begin his efforts immediately.
“My job is to ensure the company operates in compliance with all applicable laws,” Martin said. “Agriprocessors’ 800 jobs are important to Postville and northern Iowa, along with the observant Jewish community across the country that relies on them for their kosher meat and poultry. Agriprocessors can meet the needs of those who depend on the company and operate in compliance with all laws, and I intend to see that happen.”
After spending more than 20 years with the United States Attorney’s Office, Mr. Martin has spent the past several years helping companies strengthen and enhance their compliance programs. He was recently recognized in Best Lawyers in America for corporate governance and compliance law.
“We are pleased to have someone with the integrity and credentials of Jim Martin join our team,” said Heshy Rubashkin, vice president, Agriprocessors. “Retaining Jim and his team is part of our ongoing effort to improve compliance and company performance. We take our responsibility to our employees, to Postville and to the observant community very seriously.”
Agriprocessors is also searching for a new Chief Executive Officer.
“We have identified qualified candidates and started the interview process,” Rubashkin said. “Obviously selecting the right person for this job is critical. We are moving with deliberate speed to make the best selection as soon as possible. Hiring a new CEO and retaining an outside Corporate Compliance Officer demonstrates our company’s commitment to meaningful change.”
The company continues to cooperate with the government following the recent worksite enforcement action that led to the management changes. The company is also conducting an independent investigation of the circumstances which led to the enforcement action. The company cannot respond to specific allegations until that investigation is complete and pending legal issues are resolved.
Agriprocessor continues to increase production with each passing day. Agri’s kitchen is producing all provisions and its kosher slaughter of poultry has increased dramatically. With these production increases, it is hoped that many Agri will be able to sufficiently supply many markets that have shortages.
Meanwhile, the UFCW continues its subversive actions against Agriprocessors. It has tried to stop any staffing firm that has been retained by Agri to fill some of the positions left vacant by the arrest of a third of its labor force. In a letter to the Jacobson Staffing firm, the UFCW repeats all of the unproven allegation against Agriprocessors and notes:”As a responsible employment agency, we urge you to reconsider referring workers to potentially dangerous situations until the allegations surrounding Agriprocessors are cleared up.” A USDA plant with dozens of government inspectors present on a regular basis, the plant is, of course, extremely safe.
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5 Responses
I hope for everyones sake, they can hire more workers soon.
For anyone out there who takes issue with their hireing of illegals, you are a phony!!
I do not believe that there is anyone on this forum when given the chance, in a seforim store or other such cash store (wether its in Brooklyn or Lakewood)not to pay tax, you argue with the owner to take the tax $$.
I do not believe that there is anyone here that has not hired a gardener, mover, electrician, plumber etc in the frum areas, been offered not to pay tax and argued with the fellow to take the tax.
So mit amal, when it comes to yenem verstu heilig??? I am ashamed of some of the comments written here about acheinu bney yisroel.
I will go one step further that #1.In 35 years of practicing law and representing the chassidic community I have found not one client who has done yosher and not violated the tax code or other civil laws. Not one!
#1, Yochi: First, you’re being malshin and choshed bichsheirim many people. I hope a public plea on this forum for mechila is sufficient, because I can’t imagine how you’d go about contacting every single person, otherwise.
Second, there’s no Jewish store that I know of that “waives the tax”.
Third, if a store WERE to do so, they’re essentially giving you a discount equal to the amount of the tax, which, if you read secular papers, you would find well-known department stores advertise sales in such a manner, on occasion.
After they’ve gotten the sale by giving you that discount, the store still has to forward that percentage of your purchase to the tax authorities, but on a 40+% profit margin, they’d rather give you a 5+% discount and make the sale than lose it over that 5+%.
So, for example, say an item is $10 and tax rate is 5%. If you’d pay the tax, the merchant would collect $10.50 from you, keeps $10 and forward the $0.50 tax to the authorities. If you don’t pay the tax, he collects $10 from you, keeps $9.52 and forwards $0.48 to the tax authorities.
The above is not legal advice of any sort and is intended for lawful purposes only.
HaKatan,
Take your head out of the sand.
You have great svoros, but when the store owner says (as he has to me & to most of us on this forum hundreds of times)”pay cash and do not pay tax” that does not mean he is giving me a discount from his own pocket.
And I still do not see how you would answer any other worker that comes your way and charges you cash?
Another key phrase “working off the books”. Sad that we need a non-Jew to supervise the mashgichim and frum Jews who should supervise themselves.