UFCW Sues Feds Over Plant Raids (9/14/07)

The United Food and Commercial Workers has sued federal immigration authorities over aggrssive and allegedly illegal raids on meatpacking plants. The raids resulted in thousands of workers being detained, the vast majority of which are living and working in the U.S. legally.

According to RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, the lawsuits are about protecting workers' rights.

"Most of these workers were documented and just trying to get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," Appelbaum said. "It is outrageous that the government will round up and harass thousands of working people who are just trying to provide for their families."

More than 12,000 meatpacking workers—including citizens, legal residents and immigrants in the process of legalization—were swept up in ICE raids on December 12, 2006, at six meat packing plants across the country, five of them UFCW shops.