ADVISORY/Omaha Meatpacking Workers Are Focus of Innovative Immigrant Rights' Program.

Business Editors & Assignment Writers

ADVISORY...for Oct. 23 (Monday)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice Joins with the Food and Commercial Workers Union in Anti-discrimination Initiative

    What:
    Press Conference

    When:
    Oct. 23, 1 p.m.

    Where:
    Office of the United States Attorney
    First National Bank Building
    1620 Dodge Street, Suite 1400, Omaha

    Update:
    Nebraska Sen. J. Robert Kerrey will join Special Counsel John D.
Trasvina and United Food & Commercial Workers International Union
President Doug Dority to discuss the program and will be available
for questions.

In an effort to end employment discrimination against immigrant workers and others who appear or sound "foreign," the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) will announce an educational program designed to teach approximately 100,000 immigrant workers in the meat packing, food processing and poultry industries about their employment rights under U.S. law. The grant to UFCW is the largest of 11 grants awarded by OSC this year.

OSC is the only government office whose sole mission is to enforce federal protections against national origin and citizenship status discrimination faced by foreign-born workers or workers of foreign ancestry.

UFCW represents more than 250,000 workers in these industries, and a large percentage of meatpacking workers are of Latino or Asian ancestry and are often discriminated against during the employment verification (I-9) process. With funds from OSC, UFCW will provide anti-discrimination training to plant workers and union employees to provide them with the tools to educate and communicate directly with documented workers about their rights under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and what steps to take in the face of discrimination.

Immigrant workers in Omaha, Nebraska will be a focal point for this program, with regional training conferences also being held in Dallas, Texas and Gainesville, Georgia -- areas with the highest concentration of workers in these industries.