The following article was written by Iowa Governor Chet Culver as a guest column in today’s The Des Moines Register:
As governor, I have worked to attract and to grow businesses large and small throughout Iowa. By taking what might be called the “high road” to economic development, we are showing that investment in Iowa’s work force is a good value to Iowa taxpayers, and we are creating good-paying jobs as a result.
So, I’m proud to say Iowa’s business climate is strong, and it’s getting stronger. Make no mistake, as long as I have the honor of serving as governor, I will continue to work every day to bring good jobs to Iowa.
Lt. Gov. Patty Judge and I are committed to supporting businesses that play by the rules. They are an essential part of our future economic growth. Which is why I am very concerned about the events at the Postville Agriprocessors facility, before and after the May 12 federal raid.
The sad events surrounding the federal Postville raid, resulting in multiple federal criminal-law convictions of line workers and low-level supervisors – and, notably, not yet of the company’s owners – are strong evidence of a company that has chosen to take advantage of a failed federal immigration system.
In doing so, this company has fallen far short of meeting the high business standards that Iowans expect. Our laws reflect these standards. They protect consumers, Iowa workers and the state’s environment.
Before the federal raid, Agriprocessors already had a history of sanctions by Iowa’s state regulatory agencies for water pollution, as well as health and safety law violations. Alarming information about working conditions at the Postville plant – including allegations ranging from the use of child labor in prohibited jobs to sexual and physical abuse by supervisors; from the nonpayment of regular and overtime wages to the denial of immediate medical attention for workplace injuries – brought to national attention by the raid forces me to believe that, in contrast to our state’s overall economic-development strategy, this company’s owners have deliberately chosen to take the low road in its business practices.
I believe Iowa businesses should take the high road by following the law.
The Culver-Judge administration’s executive agencies are reviewing documents and other evidence obtained in the course of their independent regulatory efforts and from the federal raid of the Postville plant. In response to these allegations against Agriprocessors, I have done the following:
First, I have directed my Cabinet members with responsibility for the meatpacking industry to ensure that they are aggressively and fairly applying Iowa’s laws to this company.
Second, I directed Iowa Workforce Development Director Lis Buck to prevent Agriprocessors from listing open positions on state job-listings services due to the unsafe working conditions at the Postville facility.
Finally, as a result of my request to investigate Agriprocessors, Iowa Commissioner of Labor David Neil has filed complaints with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller alleging multiple prohibited uses of child labor. The lieutenant governor and I, in the strongest terms, call on the attorney general promptly to prosecute all alleged criminal and civil-law violations that are backed by sufficient evidence.
Agriprocessors has every resource at its disposal to be a good Iowa corporate neighbor – one that provides a safe workplace, pays good wages and benefits, protects our environment and respects the dignity of our workers. If its owners choose to operate in this manner, they will find a skilled work force ready to join this company. I want to publicly ask Agriprocessors to “take the high road” and join the family of responsible businesses in Iowa.
To date, in public statements, Agriprocessors’ owners have denied any wrongdoing related to their business practices. They are entitled to do so. Because of Iowa’s long history of clean and fair regulatory and judicial processes, companies like Agriprocessors, if accused of wrongdoing, will be afforded every due-process right to which they are entitled under law. But, at the end of the day, they must obey each and every law that protects workers and keeps our food supply safe.
A century ago, the great American novelist Upton Sinclair wrote of the horrifying working conditions in the meatpacking industry of the time. His classic novel, “The Jungle,” drew attention to the issues of worker protection and food safety, and helped the industry modernize as a result. There will be no industrial “jungles” in Iowa on my watch.
Rather, let’s use this occasion to ensure that all workers in Iowa – at Agriprocessors and elsewhere – are treated fairly, and under safe working conditions. Workers and consumers deserve no less.
(DMR)
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17 Responses
Wow a powerful statement! I have to admit I am somewhat ashamed to be associated to this company by virtue of purchasing its products.
I do not see any anti-Semitism in the Governor’s statement or that he is targeting a Jewish frum business but rather he is stating the right and wrong in business practices.
If any thing Agriprocessors brought upon all Jews what I would consider a Chilul Ha-Shem that will be used to discredit our Holy Torah and our way of life!!
Shame on them. What a chilul hashem. Even as they keep denying these allegations I am sure that some of it is true. Where there is smoke ther is fire.
Shame, Shame, Shame
#1 AND #2 what ever happened to don lkaf zechus. in america you are inocent untill proven guilty. the govenor of iowa has said the same thing. that you are inocent untill proven guilty.
#1 and #2,
Completely unfair. Unless you’re truly in the “know”. I can assure you that there are a number of people breathing down their backs, and the federal backs, in order to try to put them out of business. Specifically the Unions, of whom they’ve managed to avoid all these years. And yes, we were the ones who’ve benefited from them fighting them, resulting in lower priced meat.
Be careful before you make any uneducated accusations.
Hey Mr. Governor, when was the last time you visited Rubashkin? Have you seen all the Somalis working there? And how many were naturalized legally?
Read this carefully –
Alarming information..including allegations..forces me to believe that, in contrast to our state’s overall economic-development strategy, this company’s owners have deliberately chosen to take the low road in its business practices.
In other words the third and fourth hand information and the allegations forces him to believe that they have chosen the low road..
Does he realize what he is saying? He believes things based upon allegations.. He acted against them based upon allegations.. How positively disgraceful and un-American. What about innocence until proven guilty?
Any credibility this statement might have had was lost in the second-last paragraph when he cited “the great American novelist Upton Sinclair” as an authority. Sinclair was a socialist propagandist who spent less than two weeks “researching” The Jungle, which was a work of fiction. Almost all his allegations about food safety proved to be completely false, but he sparked a panic and a witch-hunt that drove small meatpackers out of business.
It’s amazing how the liberal press which is always crying for the poor, downtrodden illegal aliens has a sudden turnaround when the target is Orthodox Jews.
Unfortunately, fuel has been thrown on the fire by Herzfeld’s seeking favor with his liberal buddies.
We are still in golus and may Hashem Yisborach bring a yeshua to clal Yisroel soon.
#6 is 100% right. Others also made similar points.
No one, especially a governor, should be idiotic enough to make any, especially such strong statements, slander, based on “allegations” and information not gained first-hand.
What does this say about the governor?
Of course, it will be after the Moshiach comes before this type of care will be taken by the many, of proper speech etc..
#4
So what is the Govenor really saying? That Agriprocessors should act responsibly, and you have a problem with that?
When a frum company acts irresponsibly it shines a light on all yidden. Frankly I don’t care what other companies do. I don’t care if they hire legal residents or illegal residents, or Martians. I don’t care. But when frum yidden go so far beyond the pale that it become national and international news its got to stop. 31 new and old violations – including violations that Lubinsky said last time had already been fixed.
These people built a giant house of cards and when people tried to tell them over and over again that they had problems, they wouldn’t listen. The owners don’t know what they are doing. They don’t know how to run a plant and they are a terrible embarressment. They have brought shame down on the frum community and the sooner they sell the plant and get out of the business, the better.
Maybe the Rubashkin’s should consider moving their plant to another state. Surely another state like Minnesota would love to have the extra tax Revenue and economic activity that this plant would add to their state’s economy.
The Rubashikin’s are well known for their kindness and high ethics. But when successful people hit a bump in the road, all the jealous people are there to make sure they keep hitting those bumps.
Shame on you governor! Sounds like you are more interested in votes than in the truth.
Mr Governor,
is there any reason you didn’t make this statement after The ICE raid on Swift beef and Pork netted 1300 illegals on Dec 12, 2006? Did you make any statements about Swift following the “high road” before any charges were even filed? Mr Governor, you are scum.
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/061212wagontrainfs.htm
The letter written by the Governor was needed since afterall he is the governor of the State of Iowa, however it is far too late for us to receive such a letter and believe that there is a problem.
# 1) There was and will always be Federal Inspectors in the plant watching what goes on.
# 2) We are frum yidden who must not believe the words of the newspapers which have proven time and time again to be shakronim (liars) just to get in a good story for the public to read afterall that is what sells papers and boosts their sales.
# 3) Our own people , Rabbonim, Laymen, & Frum newspaper journalists have been there and yes you can say that in 3 hours what is there to see, but noone was blinded and questions were asked and answers were given as was written extremely well by Rabbi Lipschutz of the Yated Neeman Newspaper and in every large company there will always be disgruntled employees wanting to take advantage when the time allows them to and this is the same scenario.
# 4) Let us not fall in to the whims of the Yetzer Hora who wants us to fall especially as we get closer to Elul and the Yomim Noraim.
i guess they didnt give enough to his campaign
The Governor didnt have to point this out just like he doesnt point out all the countless other companies being reported upon daily in the state of Iowa.
Bottom line, Agriprocessors is straightening its act out.
To poster #10:
U pretty much hit the nail on the head. But the truth hurts and in the short run it is just easier to play the race card. The Governer says obey the law and we respond by calling him anti semetic, ignoring the fact that if all this is, is an anti-semetic, anti shechita, anti-everything campaign, why isn’t anyone bothering the other kosher mear companies?
Basically, we are showing the world that we are no different than other minorities, who when get accused, also play the race card.
Very sad indeed.
The Governor didn’t write this kind of an op-ed after the Swift raid because the number of charges aginst Swift and its supervisors were quite small when compared to Agriprocessors.
I would also bet the Governor has heard reports from his AG that very serious charges are going to follow and his administration may want to be in front of the issue rather then get steam-rolled by the public once the the charges become public.