Comments (47) | Add a comment
Firings Spark Protest
-
Photo by K.M. Cannon.
Union members and activists rally Thursday at Las Vegas City Hall to support workers fired from Republic Services. Protesters said the workers were fired for trying to organize; Republic said the workers lacked documentation showing they were allowed to work in the U.S.
Tools
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Apr. 9, 2012 | 11:38 p.m.
Busloads of women attending a Teamsters convention in Las Vegas dropped by City Hall on Thursday to join a protest against Republic Services for firing 29 Hispanics who were allegedly attempting to unionize recycling center workers.
The firings are a blatant attempt to intimidate workers who were leading the organizing efforts, Teamsters Local 631 Secretary-Treasurer John Phillipenas said. The fired workers were all Hispanic and long-standing employees, some of them having worked at Republic for 10 years, he said.
Phillipenas said the workers faced extremely hot, dusty and dirty conditions without adequate ventilation and cooling fans. The unacceptable working conditions were just one of the primary issues that prompted workers to seek union representation, he said.
Bob Coyle, president of Republic Services, told the Review-Journal in August that the company conducted a full audit of immigration law compliance and found about 30 personnel files that required further review of Form I-9, a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment eligibility form.
Audits were done regardless of race or national origin of the employees and regardless of whether they were union or nonunion, he said.
Only one person produced proper documentation confirming the ability to work in the United States legally and that employee was immediately returned to work, Coyle said. The others were given time to provide documentation and were unable to do so.
Rosalina Martinez, one of the fired workers, said she's a legal U.S.-born citizen and single mother of five children.
"I'm the only responsible person for my family support and I feed my family," Martinez said through a translator. "I've got my legal documents. Republic Services fired me because I was asking for union representation from Teamsters. The company also fired many of my co-workers from their jobs for the same thing. I ask for justice to me and all my co-workers."
The rally was intended to sway public opinion toward union strategies and to discredit Republic Services, company spokeswoman Michele Voelkening said Thursday. Teamsters officials continue to provide misleading and inaccurate information regarding issues at the recycling center, she said.
"Republic Services has had a long and positive relationship with the Teamsters union, including the harmonious and successful renegotiation of its current five-year contract," Voelkening said in a statement. "However, we cannot sit back idly while certain union representatives wantonly distort the facts to create a public perception of wrongdoing."
Republic Services was not aware of any organizing efforts at the recycling center in March and didn't learn of any such effort until August, she said.
The company has more than 1,100 workers who are members of the Teamsters union and will continue to abide by the law in all of its personnel matters, including the rights of workers to organize, she added.
Kevin Hardison, president of Teamsters Local 631, called for immediate reinstatement of all the fired Republic Services workers and for the company to negotiate union contracts. He also pointed to the 10th floor of City Hall and asked the council to "act accountable" and review the franchise agreement with the trash disposal company.
"Give it to a company that will respect its workers," he said.
Phillipenas said Republic "should be ashamed of themselves" for the firings, mostly women with children who were making $6.50 to $7.50 an hour.
"This isn't about immigration. This is all about corporate greed. This is all about exploiting workers," the union leader said to cheers from supporting unions, including Culinary Local 226, Service Employees International Union and Teamsters "sisters" from across the nation.
Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.
Trending topics:
|
renee wrote on September 25, 2009 09:05 AM:
the union will say and do anything to to put them selves first. employees were given chances to provide proper documentation. If their jobs were that important they would wait for the 30days to expire and have what they need. their situation is very unfortunate but with things like that you do NOT wait until the very last minute!!!! They had an opportunity and they took advantage of the situation and where careless.
Kathleen wrote on September 14, 2009 06:59 PM: Unions that aid and abet illegal aliens are in violation of federal law. When an organization is willing to sell out its country in return for profits derived from illegal aliens' union dues this represents the antithesis of everything America stands for and dishonors the original intent of unions. Get A Job wrote on September 11, 2009 07:49 PM: Shut up and get a job. Stop trying to take advantage of the system. And you busloads of woman, get a job too and get putting your nose where it doesn't belong. Too_many_lawyers wrote on September 11, 2009 04:19 PM: All you anti-illegal cranks are only making billable hours for immigration attorneys. I also don't like illegals receiving free services from UMC, CCSD, etc. But that problem is *small* compared to the mooching done by folks who were born here. We should send you entitlement babies back to the socialist countries your grandparents came from. Two Cents wrote on September 11, 2009 03:39 PM: Re: AdoreInVegas I had to take my drivers license and social security card. I saw some "foreigners" that day who they made go to social security for a good social security card. They were asking for updated documents of everything. So folks, this IS going on right now. We ALL had to sign an updated I-9. I don't know the fallout from my employer though. I wish I did. Two Cents wrote on September 11, 2009 03:35 PM: Re: Shelley They have been fined: http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-783143.html I still believe this is the fallout from the massive employee audits being conducted by homeland security. I think the attempt to unionize was a veiled attempt to try to save these jobs and to sway the public from the truth. Many of us who work for large companies/hotels have already been called to HR. Personally, I now see 30 or so people eligible to work and to move off of unemployment. The removed workers will have to probably return home same as many Americans do when they cannot make it. Go back home and start over. "Who was the idiot who allowed them to be hired in the first place?" I would agree but some of them use the "papers" of real people and do not get caught unless there is deeper investigation, like an audit of this nature, which I agree, should have been done long ago. chris wrote on September 11, 2009 02:31 PM: whatever. just a bunch of trouble makers with big mouths. Shelley wrote on September 11, 2009 02:27 PM: Who was the idiot who allowed them to be hired in the first place? This company needs to be fined severely for hiring ILLEGAL ALIENS! suremissvegas wrote on September 11, 2009 02:15 PM: PLEEEZE...give me a break. These people (illegals) have to go!!! Enough is enough. Glad they were fired..go back to Mexico where you belong..if you want to come back, do it legally..then you are more than welcome in MY county, otherwise,,,take a hike..and take your anchor babies with you. AdoreInVegas wrote on September 11, 2009 02:07 PM: "Two Cents wrote on September 11, 2009 01:45 PM: I work for a large strip hotel that is undergoing employee audits as we speak. I was born here and recently had to go to HR with my proof of eligibility to work and sign a new I-9. So the story the trash company is telling may be true. The woman born here and needs a translator needs to go look harder for her birth certificate. There will be more fallout from these audits which apparently being conducted all over town." True. I had to provide proof about 6 months ago and I've been with this employer for almost 10 years. I just brought in my passport and SS card. Seems human resource departments are making sure their files are correct all over. Read More Comments |
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Comments (47)
Registration Notice: The Review-Journal has implemented a new registration procedure that requires all existing and new accounts to validate and login using Facebook. Visit the Registration FAQ for more information.
Share your thoughts on this story.
Sign in or register to make a comment.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.