Feds Arrest 300 Workers at 61 Wal-Marts

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/breaking/...1023&ID=2989739

 

Feds Arrest 300 Workers at 61 Wal-Marts

October 23, 2003 12:23:00 PM ET

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials arrested about 300 workers at 61 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) locations on immigration charges as part of an investigation into contractor cleaning crews, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

 

They said the investigation, known as ``Operation Rollback,'' involved allegations the contractor had recruited illegal immigrants, mainly Eastern European nationals, to work on cleaning crews at the stores for the world's largest retailer.

 

A federal law enforcement official said some Wal-Mart executives had direct knowledge of the scheme, based on recorded conversations that have been made, surveillance and monitoring.

 

They said federal grand jury subpoenas have been issued for the Wal-Mart executives to testify. The executives were not identified.

 

Garrison Courtney, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the arrests in 21 states were part of a ``worksite enforcement'' effort.

 

``If a company knowingly hires illegal workers it can be penalized up to $10,000 per person,'' he said.

 

Most of the 300 workers belonged to contract cleaning crews, he said.

 

The latest arrests stemmed from two prior investigations by federal immigration officials involving contractors and Wal-Mart stores, one in 1998 and the other in 2001, the law enforcement official said.

 

The company did not immediately comment.

 

© 2003 Reuters

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I heard about this today.

 

At least we know Wal-Mart wasn't making them work overtime hours (at least that what the time cards will say)...

[MrRant 0]

When I lived in Vegas I SOOOOO wanted to run into the Jack in The Box by my work in a suit and scream "INS~!"

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Not only does Wal-Mart try and put every other department store out of bussiness(and some grocers now as it appears they sell produce and some other groceries) but they can't even use American workers to do it. Fuck Wal-Mart

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

What's with the Wal-Mart hate? Nothing beats a place where you can grab dinner and the latest DVDs in the same trip.

 

Too bad this won't bother them. The fine will be chump change to them.

[Firestarter 0]

I loathe Wal-Mart. $3 million is chump change for them, but anything that even begins to makes them look as bad as they are is fine by me.

[Ripper 0]

I loathe Wal-Mart. $3 million is chump change for them, but anything that even begins to makes them look as bad as they are is fine by me.

Wal-mart canc come out with a campaign that they kill babies if they wanted. The bottomline is, they have killed so many small to midlevel populated towns other businesses that they have a monopoly and the people have no choice but to shop there. Bad press is never going to truely hurt them.

[Guest Choken One]

Wal-Mart isn't to fault. I heard that those people they found were merely the cleaning crew...Whom Wal-Mart does not hire...They hire a Cleaning company...

 

So it's the cleaning company that should be to blame for hiring those people.

 

It's just the typical bullshit media trying to slander a good company as usual.

[Ripper 0]

Wal-Mart isn't to fault. I heard that those people they found were merely the cleaning crew...Whom Wal-Mart does not hire...They hire a Cleaning company...

 

So it's the cleaning company that should be to blame for hiring those people.

 

It's just the typical bullshit media trying to slander a good company as usual.

Heh...you said good company.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Wal-Mart is the Evil Empire of department stores. They'll build 5 stores in a 20mile radius and then once all the other stores have gone under they'll reduce down to one store...its happened here

[Firestarter 0]

Wal-Mart isn't to fault. I heard that those people they found were merely the cleaning crew...Whom Wal-Mart does not hire...They hire a Cleaning company...

 

So it's the cleaning company that should be to blame for hiring those people.

 

It's just the typical bullshit media trying to slander a good company as usual.

And the token forum illiterate steps up to bat once again. It's so good to have you around to supply our daily dose of random uninformed stupidity.

 

"The workers were members of cleaning crews hired by outside contractors, but federal law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Wal-Mart had direct knowledge of the immigration violations. They cited recordings of meetings and conversations among Wal-Mart executives, managers and contractors."

- Boston Globe article

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I loathe Wal-Mart. $3 million is chump change for them, but anything that even begins to makes them look as bad as they are is fine by me.

Wal-mart canc come out with a campaign that they kill babies if they wanted. The bottomline is, they have killed so many small to midlevel populated towns other businesses that they have a monopoly and the people have no choice but to shop there. Bad press is never going to truely hurt them.

Having lived in a small town it's the fault of the businesses. There was so much price gouging and just to buy a video game you had to drive almost 20 miles over to the next town. Wal-Mart made living there much more affordable and convient.

[Ripper 0]

Video games aren't exactly what keeps the community going.

 

When you have Wal-mart run in, and take LOSSES on their grocery products for the first year or so to force out the others, then put the prices up to regular levels, that is horrible. You can't expect the people in these towns to keep up with this, seeing as they can't afford to lose money on all their products for a while to compete.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

The thing about small towns is that most of the businesses are run horribly and only survive from being the only show in town. It sucks having to pay a few dollars extra on everything just because they feel like jacking up the price.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

Wal-Mart has the same business practices as everyone else. They just don't attempt to hide the undercutting as much.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

where does this belief come from that Walmart is cheaper than everyone else? Do I live by a Bizzaro Walmart, or do you all just not bother to go to stores that don't carry every product in the universe?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

The bottomline is, they have killed so many small to midlevel populated towns other businesses that they have a monopoly and the people have no choice but to shop there. Bad press is never going to truely hurt them.

I'd like to think that the consumer killed the Mom & Pop Stores. Wal-Mart didn't put a gun to anyone's head to shop there. But if Wal-Mart did, they would have the best prices to get a firearm...

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

where does this belief come from that Walmart is cheaper than everyone else? Do I live by a Bizzaro Walmart, or do you all just not bother to go to stores that don't carry every product in the universe?

In some cases it is, in some it isn't. You can usually get better buys on DVDs and stuff at say Future Shop, but in terms of its direct competition (all-purpose chains like Zellers), Wal-Mart is much cheaper. I look for deals if they happen to have sales anywhere, but Wal-Mart's regular prices tend to be cheaper and certainly better than Zellers or the now defunct K-Mart. Better quality too most of the time, and certainly easier to find what you are looking for.

 

When I'm at my cottage in the summer, I usually am stuck shopping at these places, but often I have to drive an hour to Peterborough (or Orillia) to go to Wal-Mart simply because nobody else has what I'm looking for. Believe me, I try.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I heard the toughest part of the bust was waking up the 300 workers.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

heyooooooooooooo!

 

I should mention that I'm in a college town, so the Walmart is far from the only Ginormous Store in the area.

[Vyce 0]

I'm SO glad that our immigration services are nabbing these Ukrainian grandmothers who are working menial labor jobs just so their families can live a better live, instead of, you know, the types of illegal aliens who, you know, fly fucking planes into our buildings.

 

Good job! Way to go team!

 

For all those who hate Wal-Mart: read Bentley Little's "The Store".

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

They should get rid of all illegal aliens so fine by me. Go back to Ukraine and move to the US legally.

[Highland 0]

Or swim in from Cuba.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I heard the toughest part of the bust was waking up the 300 workers.

They were from Eastern Europe, not Mexico...

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I'm SO glad that our immigration services are nabbing these Ukrainian grandmothers who are working menial labor jobs just so their families can live a better live

US Citizens > Ukranian Grandmothers that come in illegaly

[Cartman 0]

I'm SO glad that our immigration services are nabbing these Ukrainian grandmothers who are working menial labor jobs just so their families can live a better live

US Citizens > Ukranian Grandmothers that come in illegaly

[Firestarter 0]

I'm SO glad that our immigration services are nabbing these Ukrainian grandmothers who are working menial labor jobs just so their families can live a better live, instead of, you know, the types of illegal aliens who, you know, fly fucking planes into our buildings.

All types of illegal immigrants directly contribute to the decline of the rule of law and the weakening of our national security. Overlooking a "Ukrainian grandmother" today makes it more likely that we will overlook a Saudi terrorist tomorrow. As Kahran, Plunderin, and even cartman said, ship them out and let them come back if they can. It doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence in me if the very first thing someone does in this country is break our laws.

[Vyce 0]

This arrest was obviously a coordinated operation that probably took some planning and certainly some investigation before it could be executed.

 

I'm not saying we should just ignore these Eastern-Europeans.

 

I'm saying that I'd rather see our immigration services arrest and detain 300 hundred fucking Muslim extremists with ties to a dozen or more terrorist groups than pulling off a sting operation on goddamn Wal-Mart.

 

I just think one particular class of people are of a higher priority in this instance.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

This arrest was obviously a coordinated operation that probably took some planning and certainly some investigation before it could be executed.

 

I'm not saying we should just ignore these Eastern-Europeans.

 

I'm saying that I'd rather see our immigration services arrest and detain 300 hundred fucking Muslim extremists with ties to a dozen or more terrorist groups than pulling off a sting operation on goddamn Wal-Mart.

 

I just think one particular class of people are of a higher priority in this instance.

Gotta start somewhere

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Vyce, I bet you'd be glad to know that Nancy Pelosi agrees with you on this?...

 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Friday police raids on dozens of U.S. Wal-Mart stores in the search for illegal immigrants this week amounted to "terrorizing" workers.

 

"It instills a great deal of fear in people who are only trying to earn a living and put food on the table for their family," Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters on a Congressional visit to Mexico.

 

Hundreds of workers at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. locations across the United States were arrested on immigration charges on Thursday in an investigation into contractor cleaning crews.

 

"We think there might be a better way to go about this because the fact is that it is against the law for the employer to hire these people so there should be more focus on the employer and less in these terrorizing raids," Pelosi said.

 

She was speaking after meeting Mexican President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) for talks on immigration and border security.

 

Pelosi said the Wal-Mart raids showed the need to legalize undocumented workers in parts of the economy other than just the agricultural sector.

 

Several bills to grant legal status to illegal immigrants working in U.S. agriculture are before Congress, including the Berman-Cannon bill which would let an estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants earn legal residency.