Rabbi Menachem Meir Weissmandl, who oversees kosher supervision at the embattled Agriprocessors kosher meat packing in Postville, Iowa, denied emphatically that shochtim and mashgichim at the plant, who are technically his employees, staged any sort of job action Wednesday.
In a telephone interview with The Jewish Star Wednesday evening Rabbi Weissmandl acknowledged that production was interrupted for a short time Wednesday morning, but said it was the result of an impromptu “conversation” between a number of the ritual slaughterers and kosher supervisors and Heshy Rubashkin, a member of the family that owns the plant.
The conversation, which did interrupt production for a time, Rabbi Weissmandl said, began when the workers spotted Rubashkin on the production floor. The workers took the opportunity to ask that the company in some way make up for the income they’ve lost since the plant’s workweek was shortened from six days a week to five. The cutback in hours is a consequence of the plant’s reduced output since it was raided by Federal immigration agents in May.
The timing of the conversation was “shlemazeldik,” Rabbi Weissmandl conceded, coming as it did in the middle of the morning’s production run. The discussion between the workers and Mr. Rubashkin, which Rabbi Weissmandl said he participated in via telephone, ought to have been conducted in the evening, he said.
Weissmandl characterized the exchange as “friendly.” The matter of reported delays in meeting payroll did not come up, he said. He admitted that there have been delays in paying the shochtim and mashgichim, as reported, though he wouldn’t say on the record how long those delays have been. He denied that the delays have been as long as nine weeks.
Payroll lags of 2-3 weeks are commonplace in the kosher meat industry, according to Rabbi Weissmandl. He compared routine delays in meeting payroll to those commonly experienced by rebbeim and teachers in financially ailing yeshivas. The delays were the result of the company’s current legal predicament, he said. Most recently child labor investigators recommended that charges be brought in connection with several dozen underage workers they discovered at the plant.
Rabbi Weissmandl said that the Agriprocessors company has been meeting its financial obligations to him in a timely manner. He confirmed that the mashgichim and shochtim are technically his employees but said that the money to pay them ultimately comes from Agriprocessors. He declined to say whether it is he or the Rubashkins who personally sign the shochtims’ paychecks.
(A Jewish Star Web Exclusive)
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11 Responses
why are the most choshuve jobs (mashgichim, shochtim rebbeim, etc.) not included in the Torah prohibition of “lo salin pe’ulas sachir itcha ad boker – do not withhold the workwages of your hired worker until morning”?
why doesnt someone open another kosher plant, and lets forget about this pathetic company
At this point let this company do what it has to do. At what point does the “news” about this place become gossip?
must_hock, you must be the world’s best shochet who has several million dollars to invest into building a new slaughterhouse. I suggest you go to the Debbie Schlussel website and read about the Somali muslims now working at Rubashkin and most importantly why!
must_hock, think before you write such a pathetic posting.
The first question is why are the shochtim, bodkim etc being paid by rubashkin, it would seem from the above information they get paid direct from the owner! Not very standard practice in kashrus circles.
Secondly if the case is that the firm pays them how can the owner not influence the standards of kashrus.
It always boils down to money, workers don’t get paid in the plant, so how can there be any yashrus there.
And for all the ignorant people out there, the law of dina demalchusai dina is quoted in at least four gemoras and the Se’mag.
How can the shochtim or bodkim etc be paid by the owner of the plant!!!!!!!!! totally unheard of in the kashrus world, they would never have an unbiased outlook in the job. the owner would always have an influence if he holds the purse strings.
It makes one wonder after all the talk whether kashrus the the top line in this whole saga. The rule of dina demalchusai dina is quoted in the gemora at least 4 different mesechtos and the se’mag discusses it too. why can’t these plants have the kashrus authorities controlling it totally?
We can’t open a new SHECHITA!!! Who will support all the Bais Moshiach’s around the world?!?
OMG, you mean the rabbis running the Bais Moshiach’s would have to get a real job?!!
Oy, you read this and then people wonder why so many Jews don’t keep kosher. If this keeps up maybe I will join them. Just joking, but how do we explain all of this to our children? How do we keep them on the derech?? And whose derech???
I worked for Empire Poultry for 10 years. I was paid by the company, but I NEVER felt that the Katz family had any influence on any matter regarding Kashrus. I had a good salary and good benefits, and I was ALWAYS paid on time! I have since worked in other fields of Kashrus, sometimes paid by the Hechsher, sometimes by the company. It all depends on the degree to which the Rav HaMachsir is on top of the situation, and the level of integraty; Yiras Somayim of the Mashgiach/ Shochat.
Again, with all due respect to R. Weissmandl, I stopped eating from this shchitah long ago.