World
7,7
Old Vs. New
Agriprocessors passes rabbis' inspection
but gets hit with new charges by state.
Ben Harris
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New York
I
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WERE PART OF THE TEAM
A30
August 14 • 2008
n what could result in the first charges to be brought
against management at Agriprocessors, the Iowa Labor
Commissioner's Office last week sent dozens of alleged
child labor violations to the state's attorney general for pros-
ecution.
Completing a months-long investigation of the Postville-
based company, which is the country's largest kosher meat
producer, the labor commissioner found 57 cases of alleged
child labor violations.
Dave Neil, the labor commissioner, said he had never seen
anything like it in 30 years working on labor issues in Iowa. In
a statement, he described the allegations as "egregious" and
recommended the attorney general prosecute the company "to
the fullest extent of the law!'
Agriprocessors responded with a statement saying it was "at
a loss to understand" the labor commissioner's referral, not-
ing that the company had cooperated with the investigation.
The company also claims the government denied requests
to identify underage workers so they could be terminated. It
asked the public to keep an open mind before making any
judgments.
Neil said that in April, when Agriprocessors made the
requek for the names, his office only had general reports of
child labor violations without specific names.
"If we had solid names and evidence at that time we would
certainly have done that:' Neil said. "We had reports at that
time. We put them on notice to that effect. And then we start-
ed our investigation!'
The Timing
The Iowa state report came just days after a group of 25
Orthodox rabbis, visiting Postville on a trip paid for by
Agriprocessors, issued the company a clean bill of health.
The Orthodox delegation reported that the Postville plant
bears no resemblance to its image as a place where safety
lapses are routine and workers allegedly are abused and
underpaid.
In the course of their one-day visit, coordinated through the
National Council of Young Israel, the rabbis toured the plant
and met with its recently hired compliance officer, the mayor
of Postville and a Presbyterian minister.
Some of the rabbis also met with representatives of St.
Bridget's Catholic Church, which has taken the lead in minis-
tering to Latino families affected by the raid.
"At this point, I don't see any reason why someone should
not buy things from Agriprocessors," Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz,
the regional director of Chabad of Illinois and president of
the Chicago Rabbinical Council. "They run a very impressive
operation. They're very dedicated to making sure that every-
thing is being done in the most appropriate way possible!'
To date, no senior managers have been charged with a
crime, though a grand jury investigation is ongoing. Two
supervisors have pleaded guilty to assisting illegal immigrants
in the procurement of false employment documents and a
warrant is outstanding for a third.
What They Saw
While the visiting rabbis were careful to point out that they
have no personal knowledge of what transpired before their
arrival, they expressed confidence that current conditions at
the plant contrast with its checkered reputation.
Participants said there were no restrictions placed on where
they could go in the plant and with whom they could speak.
Several conducted their own interviews with employees, who
reported that they were treated well and were provided with
ample safety training.
"I was shocked when I walked into that plant because I was
expecting a lot worse said Rabbi Pesach Lerner, executive
vice president of the National Council of Young Israel. In a
statement, Lerner referred to the plant as a "Cadillac!'
In the eyes of the company's critics, and even some
Orthodox rabbis, the fact that Agriprocessors paid for the
trip rendered the rabbis' conclusions suspect. Neither of the
council's two news releases regarding the trip disclosed that
Agriprocessors had paid the bill for the rabbis.
"If they're going and being paid by Rubashkin, then that
should be forthrightly disclosed;' said Maury Kelman, a lawyer
and Orthodox rabbi who has led congregations in Israel and
New York. Kelman said Jewish law, or Halachah, insists that
rabbis involved in such matters do everything to avoid even
the perception that their judgment could be compromised.
"It's very important if rabbis are going that things look
totally above board, and that it's 100 percent clear that the
desire is to do the right thing and not just the expedient
thing:' he said. "If somebody's being paid, you're beholden to
them. Halachah is very clear about this!'
Rabbi's Response
Rabbi Lerner rejected the suggestion that the rabbis' impar-
tiality might be compromised.
"Give me a break:' Lerner said. "To impugn the integrity of
25 people is out of line!'
The rabbis also were criticized for not meeting directly with
former workers, who have lodged the harshest complaints
against the company. They did, however, meet with one of
their advocates, Paul Rael, the director of Hispanic Ministries
at St. Bridget's.
Rabbi Lerner said his group was expecting to speak with
the workers and was surprised to see that none were present
for the meeting.
The rabbinic delegation, which dwindled to four for the
late-afternoon meeting with Rael, sought to establish itself as
a conduit between the church and Agriprocessors to discuss
outstanding problems.
Rael said he was "absolutely" ready to open a dialogue with
the company. Chaim Abrahams, an Agriprocessors representa-
tive, said the company was "considering" the suggestion "in a
positive light!'
Regarding past allegations, Rabbi Lerner said he had asked
that a file of worker complaints be prepared and that he would
take up the issue with Agriprocessors. But he stressed that