PRESS CONFERENCE - 10:30 a.m. -- illegal firing of UPS workers and announcement of May Day march in Chicago
Comite 10 de Marzo
CONTACTS:
JOSE HERRERA 773-632-9992,
MARTIN UNZUETA, 773-653-3664
WHEN: TODAY, April 5, 2010, AT 10:30 AM
WHAT: Press Conference
WHERE: 1400 S. Jefferson, in front of the Customer Service Center of UPS
WHO: Members of Labor Unions, Clergy, UIC students, the March 10th
Committee and workers of UPS denounce the violations of Labor Law by
UPS in the firing of hundreds of immigrant workers and announce
several actions, and a march for May Day 2010, International Workers
Day.
E-verify-fired UPS workers and the March 10th Committee call to march
this May Day for the rights to work for all workers.
On March 21st, more than 200,000 immigrants and supporters marched on
Washington DC to demand the Legalization of ALL undocumented immigrant
workers in the United States. The pressure built by that march moved
politicians to promise to work on immigration reform. Now we want more
than promises. We want action.
“Recently, more than 200 UPS workers were fired through E-verify.
These more than 200 families have lost their main source of incomes.
These,” said Jorge Mujica of the March 10th Committee, “are the reason
why we call to march once again for documentation and jobs for all
workers, and against all verification systems.”
United Parcel Service (UPS) terminated employees who immigrated to the
United States and then became Legal Permanent Residents, says Reverend
Jose Landaverde. These people were following the rules waited in line
for their turn and now UPS is punishing them for doing the right
thing.
On March 31, 2010, UPS terminated hundreds of legal immigrants when it
implemented a federally mandated program E-VERIFY. Teamsters Local 705
and Congressman Luis Gutierrez, on several occasions, reached out to
the company and asked them to do the right thing and not take such
anti-immigrants’ position. These immigrants have families and
children; they are not tools UPS can dispose of.
At the press conference the UPS fired workers will announce their next
steps in their fight to recuperate their jobs. They and the March 10th
Committee will be accompanied by community and union leaders, by the
youth of the Immigrant Youth Justice League and by the
student-teachers of the Graduate Employee Organization of UIC, who
recently overwhelmingly voted to authorize its leadership to strike.
All of them will express their determination to support immigrant
workers mobilizing on May Day.
E-VERIFY has a 50% margin of error is another example of a broken
immigration system. WE DEMAND UPS TO STOP ABUSING THE SYSTEM AND
ALLOW THESE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK IMMEDIATELY.
--
Jorge Mujica
Comite 10 de Marzo
Contacts:
Reverend Jose Landaverde 773-968-4258
Martin Unzueta 773-653-3664
LOCAL CLERGY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CONYINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST
UPS FOR ILLEGALLY TERMINATING IMMIGRANTS
The National Immigration Law Center states: “All employers are
required to verify an employee’s eligibility to work at the time of
hire. Participants in the Re-verify Program are limited to checking
the work eligibility of only new employees and then only within three
days after such employees have completed an I-9 form.”
Despite the very clear instructions in the E-Verify Program UPS should
follow, the company re-verified its current employees, some of them
with over 20 year seniority, and then proceeded to fire those whose
data did not match some databases. Some women workers were fired
because they married and adopted their husbands last names, some
because they divorced and did not report they had re-adopted their
maiden last names.
On March 31, 2010, UPS terminated hundreds of legal immigrants, legal
residents, workers with work permits and even citizens.
UPS further violated Illinois laws, particularly the Privacy in the
Workplace Act (820 ILCS 55/12), when checking out all records of
present employees.
Community Organizations and Local Clergy are concerned that by
re-verifying employees, UPS could have violated not only the Privacy
in the Workplace Act, but federal laws as well.
On several occasions, Teamsters Local 705 and Congressman Luis
Gutierrez reached out to the company and asked them to do the right
thing and not to take such an anti immigrant position. These workers
have families and children. They are not tools you can dispose off and
not expect to cripple families and destroy communities.
EVERIFY has more than 50% margin of error. It is another example of a
broken immigration system. WE ARE ASKING UPS TO STOP ABUSING THE
SYSTEM AND ALLOW THESE IMMIGRANT WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK
IMMEDIATELY. The community will not stand for these civil rights
abuses.
Starting on Wednesday, April 7th, workers, clergy and community
members will hold a 24 hour fast and prayer vigil across the street
from UPS’ Customer Service Center.
Beginning: Wednesday, April 7th.
Ending: Thursday, April 8th.
Where: 1400 S. Jefferson
Time: 2:00 pm to 2pm (24 hours)