I admit I am having trouble keeping up with the action and rhetoric in Greeley, CO where over 100 (mostly Somali) workers were fired from the Brazilian-owned Swift & Co meatpacking plant after they walked off the production line a week ago Friday.
Now lawyers for the Union, United Food and Commercial Workers, say they will fight for each job. Joining in the meeting with fired workers yesterday was State Representative, Jim Riesberg D-Greeley, who got in on the “we are welcoming” act. We are fighting for you, he said, and in the meantime sign up for your taxpayer-funded welfare benefits. From the Greeley Tribune:
“We need to spend a lot of time negotiating with Swift so you can have your jobs back,” said Riesberg, who fielded questions from frustrated former employees.
Riesberg assured the Somalis that they are welcome in Greeley.
Without guarantee that they will get their jobs back, people at the meeting were urged to register for unemployment and file for workman’s compensation.
Programs such as the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Colorado State Refugee Services Program are in place to help the Somalis survive this transition, the workers were told.
Amber Tafoya with the coalition said she has spoken with employees that were laid off [fired] and believes JBS Swift was in error.
“We will be with you on your long walk to justice,” Tafoya said. “I’m confident that you as a community have the solution to your problems.”
To learn about what the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is go here.
These government supported Immigrant Rights Coalitions must be active in every state. We saw them making waves in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and the Illinois “Rights” Coalition was involved in Obama’s little money circle for community organizing that involved Arab groups, the Woods Fund, and William Ayers.
I wonder if there could be a taxpayer supported group called “Regular old American Rights Coalition.”