A number of Filipino nationals working on the construction of the Westar Energy peaking plant outside Emporia may not be legally authorized to work on the project, and a state legislator wants to find out if they are.
Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth, is attempting to verify the work status of about 100 welders and pipefitters brought in by Overland Contracting, a subsidiary of Black & Veatch and a contractor on the Emporia Energy Center project.
Ruff said she heard from Kerry Brandt, a member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 533 in Kansas City, Mo., that Filipino workers had been brought in by OCI after it laid off 40 American workers who were doing the same jobs for higher wages.
“But ostensibly, it was done under the H-2B visas,” Ruff said.
According to the Web site www.usimmigrationsupport.org, H-2B work visas allow people to come to the U.S. temporarily to work in jobs for which American workers are in short supply.
“Because those are the kind of visas that you grant when nobody in America is able to do the job, or has the ability to do the job, or possesses the skills to do the job,” Ruff said.
Overland Contracting hired the foreign workers from Integrated Service Co., also known as InServ, a subcontractor which had pulled 61 Filipino welders off the job at a power plant being built in Nebraska City, Neb., according to a March 5 story in the Omaha World-Herald. The workers were removed from the Nebraska City plant after union officials in Omaha questioned their work status.
Randi Donaldson, managing general counsel for InServ, told the World-Herald that the workers in question had been moved to another job site that fit their visa status.
George Minter, Black & Veatch’s senior manager of media relations and communications, said in a prepared statement that Overland contracted with InServ to provide legal pipefitters and welders for the project, including the approximately 100 Filipinos. He said various workers were being released from the Westar project as it was completed.
“As part of that schedule, we’ll be releasing all InServ workers during the next few weeks as their specific work is completed,” he said.
Minter said the contracted workers get their paychecks from InServ, rather than from Black & Veatch or Overland. InServ officials with knowledge of the project couldn’t be reached.
Brandt said he found out about the situation with the Filipino workers in early February, when he was testing a welder to join Local 533. At the time, Brandt said, the welder was working on the Westar plant, and she told Brandt she was being laid off in favor of Filipino workers with legal visas.
Mike Thiessen, an electrician working on the Westar plant for another contractor, Wagner Industrial Electric, said the Filipino workers are being paid “at least half” what American workers were making. Thiessen said he didn’t know if they were brought in as replacements to laid-off workers.
“What we were told was that they couldn’t get any American workers to fill those slots, which we know to be a complete falsehood,” he said. “We were told that during our orientation by several different people from the site. If you need a welder, or a hundred welders, or a thousand welders, you can go to any union hall and get those welders.”
Thiessen said the Filipino workers are treated poorly in subtle ways. Although they’re being housed at local hotels and bussed to work and around town, he said, the hotel and transportation fees are deducted from their paycheck. He said contractors take advantage of the Filipinos and their unfamiliarity with proper work procedures and systems in the U.S.
“These guys (foreign workers) will do literally anything to get the job done, they’re so happy to be working,” Thiessen said. “... And the contractor uses that to his advantage by speeding production at the risk of safety.
“I’ve seen several instances myself where they’re rigging with rope, which is completely outside the boundaries of what OSHA says we can do. They’re up at heights without being tied up, we’ve seen ’em do that. ... They don’t speak English. So when we’re trying to intervene with ’em and keep ’em safe — which, we’re electricians and they’re pipefitters, a totally different craft — it’s quite the fiasco.”
Emporia Energy project field manager David “Yank” Meek couldn’t be reached for this story.
Brandt said his Local 533 union then teamed with Local 441, which is the union division that has jurisdiction over the Emporia Westar plant, to file an information request with the Kansas Department of Commerce to see if there had been any applications to hire foreign workers on H-2B visas for the job site. There had not been.
According to Joe Monaco, public information officer for the Kansas Department of Commerce, it is required for a company to turn in an application to the department in order to hire foreign workers. He said the commerce department had not received such an application from Westar or Overland for the plant near Emporia.
Monaco said that while the workers’ status has to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor, what the state commerce department does is a process called wage verification.
“We confirm that there are, in fact, not (American) workers available to fill that need,” he said.
Monaco said that if Westar was employing workers on H-2B visas without first applying to the department of commerce, then he thought that would be a violation.
“In a general sense, yeah, I think so,” he said. “I don’t know the details of that particular project.”
Philip Petty, a union organizer for Local 441, said that the union has workers who are part of other Westar projects, and it would have been able to supply American workers for the Emporia welding jobs. But the union was never contacted about doing so.
After Ruff heard about the worker situation at Westar, she contacted Mark Schreiber, Westar’s director of government affairs.
Schreiber told The Gazette on Monday that Westar had made contact with an official at Black & Veatch, who hadn’t gotten back with him yet regarding the status of the workers.
Schreiber got back to Ruff after being contacted by The Gazette on Monday, about a week after he and Ruff originally spoke. Ruff said that Schreiber told her Westar was working on the issue.
“(Expletive) — that was my reaction,” Ruff said. “What can you say? ... He seemed to think that things were going to potentially come to some kind of resolution by the end of the week.”
Ruff said she would wait until the end of the week to pursue the matter any further.
“This is (expletive), it really is,” she said. “I mean, how hard is it to rap these people’s knuckles and find out what’s going on?”
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
Time for these companies to be pulled off the job,and barred from doing work in Kansas.Now I'm PO'd. Really,really PO'd.
April 9, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
I agree with you bluelite. they should go there today and stop work till it is corrected. Shieber will not help anyone but westar, he lobbies for them, all he cares about is westar and screw everyone else. I heard that meek was not at the plant anymore because of a alleged sexual advance towards a female employee, who knows, they will keep that quiet too. Good luck to the Union. who can DO THE JOB!!
thanks westar for hiring illegals, you are a first class company....BULL...DELETED....
they, overland wouldn't hire me either..........
April 9, 2008 at 1:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
poacher (anonymous) says...
Great Job Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth!!!!!!!!! Way to stand up for America.
Why aren't Emporia Legislators standing up and fighting this issue. Barnett, Hill and Mast need to respond.
April 9, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporia123 (anonymous) says...
What can we expect from Barnett, Hill and Mast? They just go along with whats popular. It's nice to see someone in Topkea is not afraid to rock the boat.
April 9, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
What Westar means by it can't find American workers to do those jobs is that Americans know safety regulations and current pay scales. Bravo to the electricians for stepping up to try to keep the other workers safe. And for sticking up for them when they see they're being taken advantage of by the company. How sad! Big corporate bosses need to be brought down a few pegs.
April 9, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truckerswife (anonymous) says...
In addition to all this, I was in the checkout line at wally world monday evening. As a supv closed the lane behind me, I asked the checkout person if he was getting off work. He said no that he was going to the cust svc desk to help the long line of Filipino fellows at the ATM send home (thru Western Union) money from their paychecks.
April 9, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
As if Whittig and the Westar Board of Directors didn't rape the public enough... now this! Give'em an earfull!
corpcom@westarenergy.com
While you're at it,here's a couple others-
donhill70@hotmail.com
senatorjb@sbcglobal.net
pmast@ink.org
April 9, 2008 at 5:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
madpoet,justaflushaway and others-Thank you! I'm sure the Electrical Workers,and Plumbers and Pipefitters do,too.I'm a retired Steelworker here,Local 307.I had the good fortune of being raised by a KP&Light Electrical Worker,and there was no such thing as "unemployed",or "you can't go to college" in our house.I wish the same for everyone else- A good,honest,safe living.You and your children deserve it.
April 9, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hottopics (anonymous) says...
Outrageous.....money earned that is not helping support our community...hec how about the USA? A swift kick to the Energy Co. is in order.
April 9, 2008 at 7:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
yeah i heard meek was long gone, a few months ago too. as for hill, barnett and mast, they won't do anything cause they are to close to schreiber, if you know what i mean. shrieber spends all of his time playing kiss up to the legislativors. osha should just come in and put pad-locks on the gates and not let any more construction happen until the WHOLE TRUTH is known to the actual public. there are just to many secrets in this town between the powers-that-want-to-be - like mr. RDA, that 'wonderful' new city manager, and the city and county commish.
April 9, 2008 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pizza (anonymous) says...
Is this what the local governments tax benefits were used for...so Westar could hire foreign labor? Were there no stipulations on the tax breaks? Is this what RDA was so proud of? Is there no oversight on the use of tax breaks? This is simply unbelievable. And to think that a local business making a very major expansion can get no help at all. How long is this kind of stupidity going to continue? No wonder Emporia continues to go downhill. Will the last person leaving town please turn out the lights.
April 9, 2008 at 8:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
What is happening in America today is so very sad, so disheartening, so frightening. Government leaders and big business ignore the basic needs and welfare of Americans in order to coddle and enrich illegal immigrants from Mexico, Fillipinos, Somalis, and any other group willing to supply bodies for a cheap labor pool. America is being invaded and occupied by foreign nationals, China is buying our national assets, and our government is doing absoultely nothing about it. The time has come for Americans to take a stand, demand accountability from our leaders, and take back America for Americans.
April 9, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emergency1965 (anonymous) says...
Labor & wage exploitation is nothing new to this town or companies who choose to locate here. In fact is Nationally becoming more popular than ever. All the while Corporate America points the finger at the U.S consumer for demanding low costs on everything. When in fact it is the greed of the corporations to stretch their profit margins at the cost of the American people. We take it in the wallet so companies can make more money. Remember that old saying "The rich get richer while the poor get poorer"?! BRILLIANT!
April 9, 2008 at 9:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USNretired (anonymous) says...
I have heard one side of the story so far, and unions usually have an axe to grind. I will hold judgment till I hear more from less interested parties..
April 9, 2008 at 11:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
wait a minute!!!!!! Now I realize why the big yellow school busses that go to westar last week was pulling a U-HAUL trailer behind the busses!! The busses have on the side global transportation, I saw them parked at GUEST HOUSE and BEST VALUE motels where the company is housing the illigal workers.
I would and WILL say that they were probably pulling some of the workers off the job, just as the company did at the Nebraska City NE plant after they were questioned of their work status.. in other words, staying one step ahead of the
goverment and INTERESTED PARTIES. The non-insterested parties don't give a damn, they just let the people of authority run over them, county and city goverment , westar, hill barnett and mast to name a few.
anyway back to the busses, where are they now??? seems like a lot of motels in Emporia had the Global yellow busses full of illegal workers living there who each day would head east on i-35 to westar,
Now, Ruff did not hear from Westars lobbist for a week!! would that be last week when this all came to light? would that have given InSev time to get some of the illegals moved out of the job just like they did in Nebraska City? probably.
And COME ON, schreiber. do you really want us to think that you can not get in contact with someone at bLACK & Veach? that shows me that you think some of us are really stupid. give me a break schrieber. The time that schrieber delayed this gave the companies time get their crap in order so that they can cover their collective asses.
Thank you Rep Ruff for addressing this issue but as with all money hungry companies they blew you off and will continue to do so, Schrieber and westar did what they had to do to cover this up.
What does the RDA have to say about this, didnt he say that before the project even stared that locals would be hired to work?? yes he did.. what does the county say about this, will they even make a comment about it? probably not, most everyone will just wish it all away.
Once again thank you Rep. Ruff,
Schrieber, JMO, but I dont believe a damn word you told anyone about this, how do you sleep at night???
April 10, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
Oh come on folks, get off Westars backs. After all, they practically give us the electricity for free. When you have an outage you speak in person to a very concerned individual, the call takes at most 15 seconds and your power comes on immediately. How can they afford to pay a decent wage to build the power plant, do all they do for us, and still pay their top execs obscene salaries and ridiculous bonus payments?? As they say in the corporate world, look at the big picture! Westar is our friend.
April 10, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Actually, Emergency, the way I always heard the saying was:
""The rich get richer while the poor have kids" :)
Like I've always said, the American consumer will gripe and gripe, but then they'll turn right around and trample each other to run across the street to buy from the Devil himself if he offers it 2 cents cheaper...... :(
April 10, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
George Orwell's Animal Farm lives on!
I heard from Peg Mast. She says she is meeting with Westar today.
Be sure to use blulightspecial's links above to bombard Hill and Barnett and Westar itself. Let them know we aren't as dumb as they think we are. Many messages will get their attention. Yes, they did promise that there would be jobs for local Emporians. Now this insult.
April 10, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
I don't care what anyone says, the real problem with America is the greed of corporate executives. When we hear about bonus payments in the millions that can be called nothing but excessive greed. In the world most of us live in, if you do a good job you get to keep it, if you do a bad job you get fired. In corporate America today, if you do a good job as an exec you get a huge salary, stock options, and an obscene bonus. If you do a bad job you just get less of a bonus. If you run your company into the ground, the employees lose their pensions and you get an obscene buyout. I honestly believe what is killing America are the relative handful of execs who have convinced boards of directors and stockholders they are worth millions every year. The President of the USA makes about a half million a year, that ought to be the benchmark, if you can't live in America on that, go elsewhere.
For the record, I am available to bankrupt any company at the reduced rate of $500000.00 per year, with a buyout of $100000.00. Please contact the Gazette for my email should you have a car company or public utility you want to ruin, I can do it cheap, references available on request.
April 10, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
Mast will probably meeting with schrieber in Topeka as he is there each day buying off the state government. I wonder how much smoke he will blow up her ...DELETED...
its a sad thing, I do hope that the Gazette will continue following this story up and press whose who need to answer to this. but probably wont . remember its kinda like Tyson, damn we would not want to stir up anything, just let them continue and the city and county will continue giving them everything them want or DEMAND
April 10, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Iloveemporia (anonymous) says...
I say let them do what they are doing last winter was the worst natural disaster bigger then greensburg and the most costly winter ever that westar and kansas has had in a long time. the cost of the storm was 73-85 million. I rather they do this then increase the bill payment plus emporians are always quick to complain about this sort of stuff but i bet they were not out there to apply for the work. westar is not going to do anything about it they are bigger than the whole emporia. http://www.westarenergy.com/corp_com/...
April 10, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
WRONG there loveemporia, have applied have all requirements for welding at they require, still no job there, not even a test, so will stay on vacation for a while longer, stay tuned for more
as for last winters storm, that's why they are in that business instead of making widget's, glad to hear that you are in favor of illegals talking AMERICANS jobs,
April 10, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
The contractors were in violation of Nebraska law,and they are in violation of Kansas law.They are in violation of Federal law,and OSHA regulations.There is now a conspiracy.They need to be held accountable.Anything you saw in Emporia,or on the job site needs to be reported.
April 10, 2008 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Alfalfa, I'll run the company into the ground for 1 Dollar LESS than you charge, you just got fired!!! LOL
Of course, I won't do NEARLY as good a job as you would have, but that doesn't matter any more in today's corporate world. I'm $1 cheaper, so I get the job.
(Of course, the $1 that I save the company will be passed onto the consumer in the form of a 10% price increase in everything we sell, it doesn't make sense to me but what the ***DELETED*** do I know about corporate finance......:)
April 10, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Maybe the contractors will all move to San Francisco, mayor Gavin there has repeatedly stated that his city will openly defy federal laws....
April 10, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Iloveemporia (anonymous) says...
justaflushaway
but of course they won't hire you. you take to long and complain about having to work cause u want to stay on vacation longer. and i am sure these ppl are not illegal or they would not have gotten the job. all of these hard fast workers that complain about nothing have their H-2B work visas.
April 10, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lcountyvictim (anonymous) says...
lloveemporia
I question your authority/experience regarding the quality and benefits of available workers for this project. I have a father and a brother who are pipefitters commuting to Junction City and Topeka daily, when they live within 5 miles of the plant. FYI - neither of them get vacations, unless you consider unemployement vacation. Regardless of your claims of these H2B workers being "hard fast", you may want to consider how efficient this is when their work needs replaced later by quality American workmanship.
April 10, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
iloveemporia,
You are exactly what these big corporations want in a "good citizen" -- they want you to be taciturn. They don't want the bellicose ones like the rest of us here who have the starch to get in their face and to uncover the truth. I question your reasoning -- "I rather they do this then increase the bill payment..." What they are doing here is illegal if they have dismissed regular workers in favor of those to whom they can pay lower wages.
April 10, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Iloveemporia (anonymous) says...
How is it that because the workers are not american you would say that they can't perform quality work i bet you have never been out there to see it. I bet the inspectors would stop the work if they found anything that was less than quality. your father and brother are real men for venturing out to find work and not getting stuck in emporia to complain about not finding work. plus emporia council is good at screwing themselves out of everything job opportunity that comes there way.
April 10, 2008 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
77flint (anonymous) says...
Get real iloveemporia, the fact is that if there were American workers available (which there was) the visa that they are using is voided.
April 10, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Iloveemporia (anonymous) says...
hahahahahahh how funny the westar energy people are not hiring emporians cause they cry to much and have welding degrees from flint hills tech. i hope they hire more "illegals".
April 10, 2008 at 5:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporialifer (anonymous) says...
When did "illegal" become okay? Illegal is illegal, whether it has to do with a person or action. It scares me that anyone would make the statement that they hope a company hires more illegals - that is like saying "I hope people kill more people, steal more, drive drunk more, etc.". All of those things are "illegal".
Open - I was shocked when I saw on the news that the San Francisco mayor was openly saying he would welcome illegal immigrants and basically defy the law. What is going on with our country? This is not about immigration or racism or whatever other thing people try to turn this into - it is about doing something ILLEGAL.
Although I do think the comments that are suggesting that one group of people is faster, better or lazier workers than another group is inappropriate and everyone complains about something about their job at some point. That is why these discussions get confused and turn to race rather than the meat of the topic.
April 10, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
It amazes me that San Franciscans actually elected this guy. Oh well, as our southern states are gradually taken over by the steady stream of illegals "doing the jobs Americans won't", we can expect the vote in those states to increasingly be weighted to push their agendas.
But wait - since Gavin openly defies federal law(s) that he doesn't like, then that means once they get enough voters to push thru THEIR laws, WE don't have to follow them if WE don't like them, RIGHT??????? Hey, don't yell at me - I'm only following the reasoning San Fran's mayor puts forth.....
Personally, I think the gov should cut off all federal funding until they comply, but our congress is too gutless.....
April 10, 2008 at 8:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netebarr (anonymous) says...
Perhaps you should really know what your talking about before you start Bashing westar. There are alot of people right here in the community that work for OCI or B&V at the new Westar plant and love their work and the people they work with. Theese companies allow their workers to provide very nicely for their families at a fare and growing wage. Im not sure what you are doing to try to get on there, but for all the people I know it took only one phone call to a very kind lady out of state. Perhaps your one of those people who feel your so very special and maybe they should call you, or better yet come to your house with tea and cookies and beg you to come work for them. And as far as illegals working for them and how, I dont know and dont care. they work hard and enjoy their work. And perhaps it would be a little easier for them to hire with in the community if the workers could pass the hiring drug screen and the Randoms.... Sure seems like an awful lot of local guys cant get on or were fired for drug use. And thank god this company does mass drug screening and fires on the spot for a possitive drug screen. i know of many,many, many guys been escorted out for "Living the HIGH Life at work" So maybe the deserving people are employeed there, and the ones who sit at home and complain about not being hired are the ones afraid of the big "Drug Screen" My hats off to you Westar, OCI and B&V. You have many loyal employees and families who are very thankful to you. Keep up the good work..
April 10, 2008 at 9:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
The contractor seems to be the main problem.I'm thinkin' the situation ought to pretty much resolved Friday.The Federal investigation will take longer(surprise)
April 10, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
netebarr, I'm glad that westar has alot of employees in the community and treat them very good. Congrats. But I don't think you should be so quick to stereotype every American that can't get hired as a druggie. I'm sure Tyson would like to have said that they had to hire the Somalians because all the local help failed their drug tests, but I know plenty of good, hardworking, people who have never touched drugs that Tyson turned down for whatever reason they could invent. Labeling everyone they don't hire as a druggie makes you sound like.... someone who will swallow whatever line a corporation chooses to feed you.
As for you statement about "illegals working for them..... I don't care"
I guess then, to be fair, if someday they just up and decide to take all your nicely provided for employees and toss them out the door in favor of cheaper imported illegal labor, I guess I'll have to agree with you and say........ "I don't care"......... right? After all, I'm sure the company will tell me you were all druggies......
April 10, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Further: I'm not belittling their strict no-drug policy - kudos on that. I'm just saying 2 things - don't be so quick to stereotype, and maybe you should start caring a little if a company hires illegals...... I don't have quite the warm fuzzy feeling about the moral values of a company that you do if they strictly enforce one law, and ignore another - gosh, I wish I had the latitude to pick and choose which laws I obey and which I ignored....
April 10, 2008 at 11:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
Some of our elected state officials have jumped right on this.Rep's Ruff and Mast,and Sen.Barnett have been in meetings about this and made good progress,also communicated there will be followup.I hope all the area craftspeople that were let go are reinstated.The subcontractors should reimburse Kansas for any unemployment paid out,too.
April 11, 2008 at 4:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
I meant the contractor should have to to reimburse Kansas for unemployment paid out.I think the only way they should be allowed to finish the job is to rehire everybody,and go by the rules.Then bar them doing work in Kansas again.
April 11, 2008 at 4:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
It's good to know that our state reps Barnett and Mast jumped in right away. An investigation is proceeding. I hope we see some dismissals as a result.
In addition, the subcontractor responsible for this should not be allowed to operate in Kansas ever again. As I understand it, they have done this many times before. The real tragedy is that Emporia has just experienced a major loss of employment and then qualified workers here in Emporia are denied the opportunity to work.
Should Westar be held culpable for a subcontractor's hiring practices? That seems to be a question we can discuss instead of making inflammatory statements about drug use and whining.
April 11, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
It remains to be seen what action Westar will take regarding the subcontractor. Will they sever their relationship, or continue to use them????
April 11, 2008 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Let's take another tack in this discussion. Read about the cost to America of using immigrant labor, legal or illegal. This may raise a few hackles, folks, but certainly worth thinking about here. Apply this to Westar and its contractors. To Tyson. To any big corp that insists on using imported labor. Remember when Topeka 501 hired immigrant teachers because they had "shortages" of teachers?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/articl...
April 11, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lcountyvictim (anonymous) says...
Sounds like there are too many middle men in this, making money at the expense of our local workers. Who's to say that going through InServ is any cheaper than hiring locally? Of course they're not going to say that - instead they'll just say that there is a shortage of qualified worker here, which is a complete falsehood.
Westar...Black & Veatch...Intergrated Service Inc (InServ)...Filipino workers...hmmm
It looks as if this buddy system was in place long before they even "analyzed" the local job force available. Take a look at the article in the Omaha Word-Herald. The article titled 'Welders' job status examinied in Kansas' was published April 5th.
April 11, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
The plant must still be using the InServ employees, as they were loading the bus this morning as I got off work, I followed the bus as I was going home and it go off at exit 138 towards that place, so I guess life is good for westar and the people who hire cheap labor at that location,
April 11, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
this is one part of the Omaha story:::::
Published Saturday | April 5, 2008
Welders' job status examined in Kansas
BY STEVE JORDON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Union officials and a Kansas legislator are questioning the immigration status of about 100 Filipino welders at a power plant under construction near Emporia, Kan., hired by the same contractor who brought Filipino workers to a Nebraska job site earlier this year.
Union officials say the Filipinos replaced about 40 Americans who were doing the same jobs at the $330 million Westar Energy plant near Emporia, apparently for about $10 an hour less.
Westar spokeswoman Karla Olson said the company checked with the contractor on its project, Black & Veatch of Overland Park, Kan., and was assured that the workers had valid work status.
George Minter, a spokesman for Black & Veatch, said the company's Overland Contracting Inc. subsidiary hired InServ, a Tulsa, Okla., company, to provide 100 welders "who are legally certified to work at the project."
"We have been releasing workers from the project as various stages of construction are completed. As part of that schedule, we will be releasing all InServ workers during the next few weeks as their specific work is completed."
InServ, or Integrated Service Inc., also supplied Filipino welders at the Omaha Public Power District's plant under construction in Nebraska City, Neb., then removed them after union officials raised questions about the workers' immigration status.
An InServ official said Friday that she wasn't familiar with the Emporia situation and wasn't able to respond immediately.
State Rep. L. Candy Ruff of Leavenworth, Kan., said Friday that she was waiting for answers to questions she asked Westar.
"How could they legally be working under these permits, especially when they are supposed to be only given to people coming in to do jobs that there aren't American workers to do, which obviously is not the case?" Ruff said.
She inquired after receiving a call from Kerry Brandt, an organizer from Local 533 of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union in Kansas City, Mo., who had talked to one of the American welders replaced on the Westar project.
The welder — not a union member — said the Filipino workers arrived over a period of weeks in February and early March, Brandt said.
April 11, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
,
, Brandt said the U.S. workers earned $25 an hour, plus $105 a day for expenses, while he calculates the Filipino workers' wages at about $15 an hour, plus $10 a day for expenses, with lodging provided at local motels.
The Kansas Commerce Department has received no applications for foreign workers at the Emporia project, Commerce spokesman Jim Monaco said.
A U.S. Labor Department spokeswoman said foreigners can work temporarily in fields such as construction if they receive H2B visas, which are tied to specific employers and specific jobs for which qualified U.S. citizens are not available.
Employers can hire workers through the H2B visa program only with prior approval by the Labor Department, the Homeland Security Department and the State Department, the spokeswoman said.
Foreign workers without H2B visas have some other status, "legal or not legal," the spokeswoman said. She said she was speaking in general and didn't know specifics about the Filipino workers in Nebraska or Kansas.
Philip Petty of Manhattan, Kan., a union organizer for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 441, said the union was not notified of any welding jobs open at the Westar plant. He said the union could have provided welders for the job.
The Kansas situation is similar to the one in Nebraska, although it isn't known whether the same welders are involved.
In late February, after union officials complained about the welders to OPPD, InServ removed 61 Filipino welders at the request of Zachary Construction Corp. of San Antonio, which is leading a partnership building the OPPD plant. Black & Veatch also is a partner.
"I think these people are hiding behind a smoke screen," said Ruff, the Kansas legislator. "It does seem as though it's the same game they're running."
Mike Thiessen, a member of Local 22 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Omaha, works for a subcontractor at the Westar power plant. He said he told federal immigration officials of his concerns about the Filipino workers' status.
Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas whose region includes Kansas, said the agency does not comment on information it receives or whether an investigation is under way.
Thiessen said he also is a member of the Minutemen, a private group that opposes illegal immigration. That group says the signs of possible illegal workers include large groups with little or no English skills, traveling to a job by bus and staying in the same motels, he said.The workers at the Westar plant are doing just that — dozens each at the America's Best Value Inn, the GuestHouse Inn and Candlewood Suites in Emporia.
Two buses take the workers to the plant for the day shift, and each evening one bus takes workers for the night shift, Thiessen said. Buses also take them to Wal-Mart to shop for supplies.
"These guys are being taken advantage of," he said. "These poor guys are treated like cattle."
April 11, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
Emporia made the map not once,but twice now.Westar-are you listening?
http://illegal.globalincidentmap.com/...
April 11, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lcountyvictim (anonymous) says...
This is obviously a PR nightmare for Westar, but it's mainly the problem of Overland Contracting Inc and Black & Veatch.
Gazette: I'm curious to know if Overland posted an advertisement seeking welders and pipefitters? Federal law states that before H2B workers can come in, the company placing these workers needs to run a 3 day consecutive advertisement in a "newspaper of general circulation" (there are some exceptions to this as determined by the State Workforce Agency, however I can't believe that any of those exceptions would apply here). Federal procedures further state that "If the job opportunity is located in a rural area that does not have a newspaper with a daily edition, the employer shall use a daily edition with the widest circulation in the nearest urban area."
If anyone wants to find out more on procedures for H2B workers here is a source dated June 24, 2007:
http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.go...
April 11, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
lcountyvictim and justaflushaway-thanks,good stuff to know! Here's Westar's song-and-dance -
"-most of those individuals have been taken off the job
and the rest will probably be dismissed tomorrow. They reminded "......" this
was a sub-contractor's action, but they realize that it falls on their
shoulders.
April 11, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
So far- B&V had all these people in Omaha near the Air Force bases,then when caught with illegal foreign workers,smuggled them across state lines to Kansas near McConnell AFB,Ft.Riley,Ft.Leavenworth,and Wolf Creek nuclear power plant.When it came to light "here",they shipped them "somewhere",and claim they were Filipino nationals with H-2B visas.
B&V does a LOT of work in China and the Pacific Rim.
113+ people they don't know anything about.
How many are Moro?(Moro Islamic Liberation Front)
How many are from Indonesia?(not exactly friendly)
How many are really Communist Chinese Nationals?('nuff said)
Nebraska and Kansas are in the dark.Westar doesn't know,and doesn't care.OCI ain't sayin'. B&V- You got some 'splainin' to do!
April 12, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
Recruitment is ongoing while US citizens are fired to make way for cheaper imported labor.
“Many highly industrialized countries have a shortage of skilled workers,” Baldoz said, noting that the locals were not willing to take up “dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs such as welding and construction work.”
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news...
April 12, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
486mar (anonymous) says...
IT IS SO VERY NICE TO SEE SOMEONE FINALLY OPEN THEIR EYES TO WHAT OCI,BV,& WESTAR ENERGY HAS BROUGHT TO THIS AREA FOR ALL PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO BE INVOLVED IN. GOOD JOBS: W/WILLING TO PASS A PRE- EMPLOYMENT DRUG SCREEN, TO PASS RANDOM DRUG SCREENING TO MAIN A SAFE WORKING ENVIROMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES THAT CAN BE AFFECTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NEGATIVE AND TRYING TO PERFORM A VERY DANGEROUS JOB THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BE FULLY INTACT MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, & THAT YOUR REFLEXES BE READY FOR ANYTHING. ALCOHOL, DRUGS THAT IMPAIR YOU TO DRIVE THEY IMPAIR YOU TO DO YOUR JOB TO!!!!!!! AND LOOK @ WHAT THE LAW DOES TO DRUNK DRIVERS NO DIFFERENCE & WHAT IT DOES TO PEOPLE KILLS, HANDI-CAPS, HURTS PERIOD HELLO. SO I SAY YOU NEED TO GET ON OCI'S WEBSITE OR KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKN ABOUT TOTALLY BEFORE YOU SPEAK OUT. THAY HAVE VERY HIGH SAFETY STANDARDS. THEY DID LOOSE 40 PEOPLE YEP & THEM 40 PEOPLE WAS IN FEBRUARY I THINK THAT 30 OR SO TESTED POSITIVE & 10 WALKED OFF THE JOB BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY COULDN'T PASS THE UA. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T STIR THINGS UP WHEN THEY LOST THEIR JOB OR WALKED OFF OF IT FOR REASONS THATS @ THEIR OWN EXPENSE. GET SMART DO YOUR PART YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE HIRED TO A DO A JOB AND WHAT THE POLICIES& PROCEDURES OF OCI,BV,& WESTAR ENERGY WAS UPON BECOMING APART OF THEIR TEAM. SO THIS IS WHAT IT USUALLY BREAKS DOWN TO: CAN'T PASS A UA, CAN'T MAKE IT TO WORK ON TIME, CAN'T FULLFILL ATTENDANCE RULES, WAS NOT AS QUALIFIED FOR JOB AS YOU REPRESENTED YOURSELF TO BE, LAZY ON THE JOB, TAKING EXTENDED BREAKS, NOT STAYING BUSY, UNABLE TO TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM LEAD PEOPLE, & LAST BUT NOT LEAST (THE GOVERMENT HAS MADE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO SIT @ HOME & DO THEIR DRUGS, DRINK & LIVE OFF OCI,BV, & WESTAR ENERGY EMPLOYEES. WHERE DO YOU THINK WELFARE COMES FROM & WHY TAXES ARE OUT RAGES. YEP THE TAX PAYER GETS THE BUTT END OF THAT DEAL TO. THESE PEOPLE AMERICANS OR FOREIGNERS THAT ARE NO LONGER EMPLOYED @ THE WESTAR ENERGY PLANT @ THIS TIME THEIR END IN EMPLOYMENT WAS ON THEM FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE REASONS LISTED ABOVE. AMERICANS DONT WANT TO WORK ITS TO EASY TO GET THE GOVERMENT TO SUPPORT YOU ANYMORE. AND AS TO ILLEGAL WORKERS I DONT KNOW BUT AS I SAID AMERICANS DONT WANT TO WORK BECAUSE THE GOV. DOESN'T ENFORCE IT THEY GIVE IT TO YOU. SO WESTAR HAS PHILLIPINOS BIG DEAL HOW MANY OF ARE QUALIFIED TO DO THE JOB THEY WERE DOING & HOW MANY OF YOU THAT ARE COMPLAINING APPLIED FOR IT? DONT CRITIZE WHAT YOU DONT NO JACK ABOUT & DONT GO OFF ALWAYS WHAT THE PAPER SAYS OR OTHERS. GET THE FACTS 1ST OR ATLEAST KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON SOME HAVE SOME INSIDE INFO. BEFORE YOU START BASHING. PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL WHEN IN DOUBT THEY REALLY KNOW NOTHING @ ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 14, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
486mar (anonymous) says...
OH YEAH YA GRIP ABOUT FOREIGNERS BEING IN THE UNITED STATES!!! WHO MIGHT YOU HAVE TO THANK FOR THAT? AND GUESS WHAT THEY ARE PEOPLE TO! TELL ME HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WORK BESIDE ONE THAT THAT FOREIGNER HAS NOT BEEN HELPING YOU THROUGH THE DAY W/ YOUR JOB OR JUST IN LENDING YOU A HAND AND YOU ACCEPTED THEIR HELP THEY WERENT BAD AT THAT TIME OF NEED WAS THEY? BUT NOW ITS A ISSUE. LETS MEET REALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S NOT LET (DISGRUNTEL) MAKE BAD HEADLINES. IT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR ALL TO TALK ABOUT & ASSUME WHAT IS REALLY TAKING PLACE. WAIT IT OUT THE WASH WILL BE DONE & OCI,BV,& WESTAR ENERGY WILL STOP THIS SPIN CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 14, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Ok, so let's assume that it's true, that the 40 all deserved to be let go for drug use. Why did the company and/or contractor ignore the H2 rules about advertising, and go straight to the cheaper help? The union says they had plenty of people that would take the jobs if they had been notified.
I'll totally agree with you about people not wanting/needing to work because the US gov has turned into a giant nanny. What makes you think illegal immigrants aren't going to end up with the same mindset eventually, once they find they can get everything free without working? (Many already have!)
So let's vote higher taxes, more socialized programs, more government handouts, and make it even worse!!! :)
April 14, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
486mar: WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT US! Using all caps doesn't get your point across any better. To the contrary, it makes you look rude, unreasonable, and overbearing.
April 14, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
glarson (anonymous) says...
Time to move, folks:
http://www.emporiagazette.com/forums/...
Gwen Larson
Managing Editor
April 15, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )