Supporters of the 200 undocumented laborers recently fired from Pacific Steel Casting Company will participate in a protest for worker rights Friday with a “March for Dignity” from Old City Hall to Pacific Steel’s facility in West Berkeley.
The march is in response to an I-9 audit, mandated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, that resulted in the firing of 200 undocumented workers starting in December. The audit demanded that the company check the employment eligibility of its workers, eventually leading to the dismissal and replacement of those who could not provide social security numbers.
According to Pablo Paredes, one of the event coordinators, the march has multiple goals. In addition to standing against the Obama administration’s practice of conducting citizenship audits, march participants hope to create a sense of dignity in workers who feel that they were treated inhumanely.
“Immigration audits, a.k.a silent raids, destroy the livelihoods of migrant families and make workers vulnerable to the kinds of abuses these workers suffered,” Paredes said in an email.
Elisabeth Jewel, spokesperson for Pacific Steel, said the company is sympathetic to the march’s “purpose in bringing awareness to federal government actions concerning I-9 audits.”
“We do feel, however, that anger targeting the company is entirely misplaced,” she said.
Pacific Steel is also in the midst of a lawsuit filed by a former employee who is seeking financial restitution for the company’s alleged failure to provide mealtimes, rest periods and timely payment to dismissed workers.
Lori Haley, spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said businesses that employ illegal aliens are able to exploit workers and pay them low wages, gaining a comparative advantage over law-abiding companies.
“These inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government has to ensure that businesses are complying with U.S. employment laws,” she said.
Berkeley city officials have also found fault with ICE’s intervention, citing Berkeley’s status as a sanctuary city.
“The way the ICE has busted in here and disrupted families and homes is unacceptable,” said Berkeley City Councilmember Darryl Moore. “Berkeley is a sanctuary city … We should live up to those values.”
Paredes said in the email that he expects at least 300 people — both dismissed former employees and their supporters — to participate in the march, which will begin making its way from Old City Hall at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Pacific Steel at around 10 a.m., according to the Facebook page.
“Pacific Steel has plenty of lawyers who can outspend the workers in court, but the workers can marshal public support for their noble and just cause,” Paredes said in the email.
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I agree they broke the law, but hopefully at least one of you making racist comments can understand that its in our interest to break this law if we want the US to maintain its high standard of living and be globally competitive. Guess where Pacific Steel would be located if they couldn’t get cheap immigrant labor – Mexico, or China, or replaced by companies there. Be glad they’re paying taxes in the US (don’t you think Pac Steel would have done it all legally if it was cheaper to do so); maybe if you work 2 times harder for 1/2 the pay, you could find work too. It’s called capitalism. social conservatives want it all and it doesn’t work that way. We live in a GLOBAL society. If you aren’t down for that, please move to Newt’s upcoming moon base.
Interestingly the head-line has changed for this article:
The head-line used to say: “Undocumented workers to march in protest of Pacific Steel firings”
Now it says: “Supporters of undocumented workers to march in protest of Pacific Steel firings”
Daryl Moore needs to put a sock in it.
The way the ICE has busted in here and disrupted families and homes is unacceptable?!?
The way that these illegal immigrants have busted into California and taken jobs that could have been filled by some of the 12%+ unemployed or under-employed legal citizens of California is what’s REALLY unacceptable.
Mr. Moore ought to be focusing on doing something about the incredible rash of home burglaries in his district over the last month, not running his mouth about immigration problems at a factory that isn’t even in his district.
What, exactly, are they marching in support of? Their right to break the law?
I am an Occupier marching In Solidarity
To obey the law, Pacific Steel Casting had no choice but to fire them. They are a business, not an advocacy group for undocumented workers. If they got shut down for hiring undocumented workers, then nobody would have a job.
The company submitted to a FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUDIT. What else were they supposed to do?
undocumented workers = illegal alien lawbreakers and criminals
This is a nation of immigrants
We are a nation of LEGAL immigrants.
Because people don’t just spring up out of the ground: ALL nations were created via migration. However, once a nation has been established or created, that nation controls the flow of migration via immigration laws. ALL nations have immigration laws.
So, what’s your point?
To say that “This is a nation of immigrants” is rather inane as ALL nations are, and like ALL nations, a nation with immigration laws.
You open-borders folk always conveniently leave out the part about ‘a nation with immigration laws’…like ALL nations.
This is a nation of American citizens.
So they are protesting that their former employer decided to finally comply with the law?
No wonder the rest of the country thinks Berkeley is whacked.
Hope you or your kids are not looking for a job this summer…the State Department is giving over 100,000 jobs to foreigners that will come here and live for the duration of their work. Of course many disappear into society and never leave. Oh well, the state Department could care less. Every year it gets harder and harder for American students to get summer jobs with illegal aliens being employed instead and the government programs designed to take jobs from Americans.
Summer work program: State Department’s Summer Work Travel program is taking jobs from Americans – baltimoresun.com
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-summer-work-20120213,0,5567156.story#tugs_story_display
And more dangers due to the illegal alien invasion…terrorists enter at will and the government knows it!
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.11428/pub_detail.asp
Why don’t we now just simply arrest all of the illegals who show up for the rally,send them back to Mexico City and let them figure out how miserable a place that they were in. Then they can legally apply for visas and wait their turn in line like the rest of the people who did it the legal way.
The bezerkly police wont arrest them and the Obamanation’s administration wont arrest them, so should Joe Arpaio go to Calimexico and arrest them. Calimexico is gone.
they can march all they want and they’ll get nothing just like the marchers of 2006.
We demand you get deported!!..They are indeed lucky we are not a violent people!
They’re lucky we don’t treat them even half as bad as illegals get treated in Mexico.
Any American who supports these foreign invaders should be prosecuted for treason.
Here’s a look at what the illegal alien invasion is costing America in dollars. Then keep in mind the hundreds and thousands of American lives taken each year at the hands of illegal aliens!
Federal Open Border Policy: Costs to America’s Infrastructure Incalculable » Publications » Family Security Matters
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.11421/pub_detail.asp
Obama doesn’t encourage using E Verify because his SS# won’ clear the system either! That’s a fact. Illegal immigrants cry about all the injustices done to them but want a pass on all the laws they broke like taking a job from an American citizen, getting welfare aid illegally and using false ID’s. I hope the American people are waking up and seeing the light as to what this crime against America is costing us and the need to deport these peole and secure our borders with military. Until we do, this nightmare will continue.
[citation needed]
Imagine the audacity of these criminal invaders!!!
Marching on U.S. soil because they have been caught illegally stealing employment from American citizens!
They are so lucky Americans are not a violent group.
Illegal aliens should be praising our civilized society!
Maybe this is why Iran believes the U.S. is its bitch. America sets around in silk panties applying hormone creme and allows known criminal invaders to march in its streets when the law says they will be arrested as soon as they are identified as “illegal.” Every time this open brown eye to America is laughed off, the image of the U.S. is also laughed off as weak wusses.
the racist comments serve no purposes other than to prove how very ignorant you are.admittedly obama may wind up making the bush drones look good but you,oh racist dimwit just make yourself look bad.you do know this is 2012 and this is berkeley and not 1965 in biloxi,mississippi.granted,berkeley is riding the coattails of the legends and myths developed from actual events but you are riding broken wind only.
The Bush drones did it.
Your crusty idiotic comments should be banned. This is not about racism
it’s about illegal workers stealing jobs from the American people.
They have no business on U.S. soil and we Americans are not a worldwide
employment office for the world.
GIT!
This is a laughable comment, Seriously we are racist, because we don’t appreciate these “ILLEAGLE ALEINS” coming over here and basically robbing us blind,, I pay an out ragious amount of taxes and I don’t appreciate the fact that most if not all go for these creeps.. They are breaking our laws, They have no rights, they forfited those the moment they chose to hop the border …. So don’t set there on your high horse and say we are ignorant racist. You seriously need to get your priorities in order,, And another thing,, Apparently you have alot of feelings on the matter, so I can’t help but wonder if you are one yourself, or related to one…. Get alife, stop playing the race card every time something dosn’t go your way…. IF you like them so much Help yourself to Mexico,,, we have way to many Idiots here as it is.
”the racist comments serve no purposes other than to prove how very ignorant you are”
It is NOT racism to demand that our immigration laws be enforced. You leftists need to grow up and stop playing the race card all the time.
Obama will pick and choose which laws to enforce. Show him the door in November.
Illegal aliens are criminals and parasites who have no business being here, let alone stealing jobs here. They need to be rounded up and deported forthwith. Law enforcement needs to be at this taco tantrum to collect the illegals who are present there.
They should march against the selfish NIMBYs who’ve been trying to shut the place down. They’d have happily killed those union jobs. One of them probably ratted out the undocumented workers.
Bush did it
I sympathize with the undocumented workers (or illegal aliens, whichever you prefer), but what is Pacific Steel supposed to do in response to a federal audit? Say “fuck you, federal government”? I seriously don’t know, I’m ignorant on this one. Anyone?
The use of E-Verify would have prevented this. If the slimeball socialist in the White House would secure the borders this sorta crap would be a thing of the past. That won’t be happening anytime soon, unfortunately.
Why do you sympathize with illegal aliens?
By “sympathize” I don’t mean I side with them. I just mean given the opportunities in America I understand where they’re coming from and I do appreciate their work ethic.
So, in order to work in America, illegal aliens lie, cheat, and steal from law abiding taxed to death citizens and you can understand and appreciate them.
Good grief!
If you sympathize with them, why don’t you give them all your income and assets like so many Americans have been forced to do?