HEYGOOD, ORR, REYES, PEARSON & BARTOLOMEI
2331 W. Northwest Hwy., 2nd Floor • Dallas, TX 75220 • Phone: 214.526.7900 • Fax: 214.526.7910 • Toll-Free: 877.308.7900
Swift & Company
In December of 2006, Colorado-based Swift
& Company made news around the world when the
U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeted the
company's meatpacking plants in what quickly became
the nation's largest undocumented immigration raid
in history. While the raid brought additional attention to the issue of undocumented immigrant workers in the United States, it also raised a key underlying issue - that of conspiring to use undocumented labor in an effort to artificially depress wages across the board.
Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei was featured in newspapers, and in broadcast media around the world when it was announced that we would be representing 18 former workers who fell victim to this wage depression.
The lawsuit seeks $23 million in exemplary damages and the back wages the victims would have received if they had remained employed. Filed in a U.S. District Court in Dallas, the lawsuit claims that Swift engaged in a racketeering conspiracy to manipulate commerce (a violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO)).
Our clients in this case are all legal U.S. residents who formerly worked at the Cactus, Texas Swift meatpacking plant. When the plant opened, wages were near $20 per hour. Now, the average wage has fallen drastically to $12-$13 per hour. It is our contention that undocumented immigrant labor was knowingly used in a deliberate effort to decrease the fair wages of all workers at the Cactus plant.
Immigration is the biggest domestic policy issue the United States faces in the coming years. The world is watching how we handle our immigration policy. We hope that by exposing the extreme profit-driven approach that some of our largest corporations are taking on the immigration issue, our lawsuit can help create movement towards a solution. In the meantime, we will continue to pursue our civil case against Swift. Please contact one of our attorneys and find out what your case is worth and feel free to click on the links below to learn more about this case and how we're fighting for our clients' rights.
RADIO & TV INTERVIEWS:
12/23/06 - CBS TV Channel 11 (Dallas/Fort Worth) – Legal Migrants Sue Meat Packing Company, Featuring Interview with Angel Reyes
12/19/06 - CNN TV, Featured on Lou Dobbs Tonight – Interview with Angel Reyes
12/19/06 - KHOW Radio 630, Caplis & Silverman Show (Denver) – Interview with Angel Reyes (Streaming MP3)
12/19/06 - KHOW Radio 630, Peter BoyleShow (Denver) – Interview with Angel Reyes (coming soon...)
12/19/06 - CNN.com, Bill Tucker reporting – Former Employees Sue Swift, featuring Michael Heygood and Angel Reyes
12/18/06 - WBAP-Radio (Dallas) – Interview with Angel Reyes
12/18/06 - KFI-Radio (Los Angeles) – Interview with Angel Reyes (Streaming MP3)
SWIFT LAWSUIT COMPLETE NEWS ARTICLE ARCHIVE:
Complete Swift news article, interview, and appearance archive
NEWS ARTICLES
Swift Plant Raid has Devastated Cactus, Texas
2/11/07 - The Dallas Morning News
ICE agents descended on Swift plants in six states, arresting nearly 1,300 workers, including 292 in Cactus, in the largest work-site enforcement action ever. Hundreds are still being held on identity theft or immigration-related charges. (read
more...)
NPR Interviews Angel Reyes Regarding Swift
1/8/07 - National Public Radio
In Texas, a group of former employees is accusing the Swift meatpacking company
of conspiring to hire illegal workers in order to depress wages. (read
more...)
Ex-workers Sue Swift for Wages
12/19/06 - The Washington Times
A $23 million lawsuit by 18 former employees at Swift & Co., which was targeted last week in raids by the government over its hiring of illegal aliens, says the meat-processing company conspired to keep down wages by hiring the illegal workers. (read
more...)
"Lou Dobbs Tonight" Interview with Angel Reyes
1/8/07 - CNN
Angel Reyes was recently interviewed regarding the Swift & Company lawsuit
on Lou Dobbs Tonight. (watch
clip...)
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