Former employees sue Swift alleging wage manipulation
DALLAS - Former employees are suing Swift & Co. for $23 million, alleging the meatpacking company conspired to keep wages down by hiring illegal immigrants.
The 18 former employees are U.S. citizens and legal residents who worked at a plant in Cactus, north of Amarillo, one of six facilities raided an a multistate federal sweep that led to the arrests of nearly 1,300 employees and temporarily halted Swift’s operations.
“These plaintiffs are … victims in a longstanding scheme by Swift to depress and artificially lower the wages of its workers by knowingly hiring illegal workers,” said their attorney, Angel Reyes. “By lessening its labor costs and increasing its profits, Swift has severely damaged the potential earnings and livelihood of these hardworking men and women.”
A spokesman for Greeley, Colo.-based Swift didn’t immediately return calls Monday, but President and CEO Sam Rovit has said the company has never knowingly hired illegal workers and does not condone the practice.
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Former employees sue Swift alleging wage manipulation
Examiner.com
