STREET
STREETVIBES
June 2008
$1 VIBES
THE TRI-STATE’S ALTERNATIVE NEWS SOURCE
‘We Are
Their
Slaves’
If they treat citizens this
way, imagine how it is
for immigrants
BY GREGORY FLANNERY
EDITOR
Y
our boss stops by
unexpectedly, sees a
mess in your
apartment and punishes you by
deducting $50 from your next
paycheck. Fortunately he didn’t
see the beer cans in your trash
– or your boyfriend hiding in the
closet; either of those could
have gotten you fired.
At the meatpacking plant
where you work, the production
line runs so fast that you can’t
keep up the pace. When pork
falls on the floor, supervisors tell
you to pick it up and wrap it for
the grocery store without
cleaning it. You’re still not
working fast enough; the
supervisor tells you to move as
fast as you do when you’re
having sex.
If your child is sick and you
miss a day of work, you not only
don’t get paid for that shift; a
$50 fine is deducted from your
paycheck. If you quit before six
months, a $200 fine is deducted
from your last check.
This isn’t a sweatshop in a
Third World country; it’s a job
in suburban Cincinnati. A
Streetvibes investigation of
complaints by workers and
concerns raised by union and
religious activists has found
conditions comparable to
indentured servitude; indeed
some of the workers refer to
themselves as “slaves.”
After months of trying to
work with the companies to
resolve the complaints, activists
and union officials are now
appealing to the public to
demand action. But they’re not
putting all their hopes on public
outrage; they’ve also taken their
concerns to the FBI.
Streetvibes has learned that an
FBI agent met May 21 with an
organizer for the United Food
and Commercial Workers
(UFCW), an expert on human
trafficking who works for the
Cincinnati YWCA and two
workers lured here from Puerto
Rico with the promise of good
jobs.
‘Like a crazy house’
The people of Puerto Rico
are U.S. citizens and taxpayers;
they need no permission to
work in Ohio or Kentucky.
That doesn’t mean getting here
is easy. That’s where Diverse
Personnel Co. – also known as
Able/Diverse Personnel Co. —
comes in. Based in Fort Wright,
Ky., the temporary-employment
agency recruits Puerto Ricans
for jobs on the mainland, offering
Cincinnati Processing workers relax outside but the pace inside can be dangerously fast.
Photograph by Andrew Anderson.
housing and transportation.
Willie Rodriguez, the
founder and owner of the
company, declined requests for
an interview. But his attorney,
Michael S. Glassman, sent a
statement to Streetvibes.
Rodriguez came to the United
States from Cuba with his
mother in 1980, according to
Glassman.
“Mr. Rodriguez and his
family came to the U.S. with no
money, but with the knowledge
that they had their freedom and
could work for anything they
wanted to achieve,” the letter
says. “Mr. Rodriguez has not
stopped working and dreaming
since he arrived in the U.S. He
started (Diverse Personnel Co.)
with the purpose of helping
individuals from Puerto Rico get
work with employers in the
U.S. and making available to
them on a short-term basis, if
they desired, a furnished place
to live and transportation to and
from work.”
But what might have
seemed a dream for Rodriguez
MoBo Co-Op takes
you for a spin - p.13
plays out as an “inescapable
nightmare” for his employees,
according to Ellen Dienger, an
organizer for the UFCW. In a
flier detailing complaints about
the temp agency, Dienger
describes conditions far
different from those promised in
advertisements in Puerto Rico.
“Sometimes people don’t
even make enough to buy
groceries for the week and have
to go starving or living off their
fellow workers,” the flier says.
“Able/Diverse places anywhere
from four to six workers into an
apartment and up to 12 in a
house, many of which are
vacant of all household furniture
and appliances except for a
mattress on the floor to sleep
on.”
Immanuel Ortiz Santiago, a
former Able/Diverse Personnel
employee who now lives in
Middletown, says he believed
the promises of a better life
when he signed up to come to
Cincinnati in 2006. But instead
Continued on page 4
1
www.cincihomeless.org
The Southwest Ohio
Workers’ Rights Board
and United Food and
Commercial Workers
found:
„ workers forced to
live in crowded apartments
and houses, for which
they’re charged exorbitant
rent;
„ workers forbidden
to have visits in their home
from members of the
opposite sex;
„ a prohibition against
drinking alcohol in one’s
own home;
„ excessive,
mandatory charges for
transportation to work,
shopping or medical care;
„ blatant sexual
harassment in the
workplace;
„ families faced with
eviction from company-
controlled housing the very
day a worker gets fired; and
„ unsanitary and
potentially dangerous food
processing practices.

4 June 2008
Continued from page 1
Santiago says he found himself
living with 11 other men in a
house in downtown Covington.
With the thermostat locked, the
house was cold in winter, he
says.
“I turned the oven on to
warm the house,” he says. “A
lot of the people were so cold
they wore their coats in the
house. You’ve got to cover up
the windows with blankets. You
look at our house – it’s like a
crazy house.”
The employment company
charged Santiago $135 a week
for rent, he says – even though
he sometimes received few
hours of work.
“Let’s say
you get $60 –
you still got to
pay $135,” he
says. “I got one
check for
$6.40 for the
week. That
week I worked
one day or two
days, but they
still charged the
rent.”
He shows
a reporter a
pay stub
marked no.
2784, dated
Nov. 29, 2006,
showing
Santiago’s net
pay as $6.40.
Dienger’s
flier says Able/
Diverse charged up to $6,000
per month in rent for some
houses. In Santiago’s case, 12
people paid $135 a week for
rent totaling $6,480. The
amounts charged are excessive,
according to Don Sherman,
director of the Cincinnati
Interfaith Workers Center.
“When they get to the
United States, they’re put into
these apartments or houses,” he
says. “I’ve been in some of the
apartments. They’re four or five
to an apartment, but there are
only two bedrooms. Some of
them are paying $100 or more
a week to live in the apartment.
They wouldn’t pay the owner
of the apartment; they would
pay Diverse Personnel. They
were paying up to $1,600 for
Top: Diverse Personnel houses
some workers in the apartments
above. Right: But the paycheck
to the right gives that address to
someone who never lived there.
The pay stub also shows that this
person was married and had five
kids, which he denies. Photo
courtesy of UFCW.
Streetvibes Investigation
STREETVIBES
an apartment in downtown third time we will deduct $50 business of the company … girlfriend started asking what
Covington that would seem to per person.” independent of whether these happened to him. They fired her,
be in the market of $500.” „ “Beer cans, liquor or are of a confidential nature or
too. Then they give him one day
While the company’s drugs are not permitted in the not.” to get out of the apartment. The
lawyer says the housing house or in the areas „ “If you are fired from next day they started throwing
arrangements are optional, surrounding it.” your place of work, we will everything – throwing this,
Dienger, Sherman and some of „ “As an adult, your evaluate the situation, and wethrowing all their stuff and
the workers say workers were behavior should be the best. No will notify if you will be saying, ‘You got to go! You got
told they had no choice but to fighting or discussion. If there transported to another place or
to go!’ They took everything
live where Diverse Personnel are problems, we will call the if you have to leave the like the groceries and the clothes
Co. told them. police, no questions asked.” apartment where you reside and put it out on the street. They
„ “If you do not show up immediately.” didn’t speak English, they didn’t
„ “If you decide to leavehave no money, they didn’t
before your six months, the know no one here. They started
“The first time that the facilities are contract is terminated with crying to me. They don’t want
found dirty, a warning will be given. The (Diverse Personnel Co.), your to live in the street.”
second time this occurs, we will deduct last check will be retained until Santiago, who speaks
$25 per person. The third time we will everything is discounted from English, says that some of the
deduct $50 per person.” your check, including the $200company’s behavior simply
that will bemystified him. He gives a
discounted for
reporter a pay stub dated April
breaking the25, 2007. For 47 hours, his net
contract.” pay was $204. The first
The rules
problem? The check lists his
are so
address as an apartment
stringent that
complex in Park Hills, Ky. – but
workers and Santiago says he was living and
families have
working in Middletown at the
f o u n d time.
themselves “It’s a fake address,” he
evicted says. “I never lived there.”
without The second problem? The
proper legalpay stub indicates Santiago is
notice and, married and has five income-tax
unable to exemptions. Neither is true, he
speak English,
says.
have no idea “I know this is fraud
because you’re
lying,” Santiago says.
“If you are fired from your place “The federal income
of work, we will evaluate the tax thinks I’m living in
situation, and we will notify if you Kentucky, I am
will be transported to another married and I have
five children. They
place or if you have to leave the
‘Do what he says’ for work don’t just do that to
without giving apartment where you reside me. They do that to a
High rents and crowded n o t i c e immediately.” lot of people.”
conditions aren’t the only previously, $50 When he applied
complaints about the housing. will be taken for unemployment
Employees have to sign from your paycheck.” what to do next, according to compensation from the state of
contracts and comply with „ “Every apartment has a the UFCW. Ohio, Santiago says state
house rules that would offend lead. The lead is in charge of “In every case we have officials told him they had no
most people’s sense of personal the house. You have to do what come across so far, as soon as record of his having worked in
freedom. Copies of documents the lead says. He will talk for a person is fired by the this state.
obtained by Streetvibes include Willy (Rodriquez).” company, they throw them out
these restrictions: „ “Men are not permitted of the apartments within just a Sleeping on the floor
„ “It is the responsibility in the apartments of the women, few days, sometimes that same
of those residing in the and women are not permitted night, with the only options of Santiago’s girlfriend,
company’s apartments to in the apartments of the men.” going directly to the airport, a Jasmine Rivera, whom he met
maintain and clean the interior „ “The employee shall not shelter or out on the street,” the after coming here to work, is a
as well as the exterior of the reveal, discuss or communicate union flier says. former employee of Able
apartments. The first time that to any other person, firm or Santiago, 26, says he saw Personnel Co., which might or
the facilities are found dirty, a company in any moment, form it happen. might not be the same as
warning will be given. The or means, direct or indirectly, “They had a couple, the guy Diverse. The relationship
second time this occurs, we will the nature, class or description was sick from the back pain,”
deduct $25 per person. The of the affairs related to the he says. “They fired him. The Continued on page 5
STREETVIBES
June 2008
Continued from page 4
between the Diverse and Able
companies is murky. The two
companies share the same
address, and when a reporter
tried in vain to reach Willie
Rodriguez on the phone, he was
told the two companies are one
and the same. The letter from
Michael S. Glassman,
Rodriguez’s lawyer, also failed
to make the relationship clear.
“For the last several months,
Mr. Rodriguez and the owner
of Able Management have tried
to operate jointly under a newly
formed entity doing business as
The Diverse Personnel Co
(‘TDPC’) but recently have
decided to no longer operate in
this fashion,” the letter says. “It
is Mr. Rodriguez’s intent to
return to doing business on his
own with his original company.”
Rivera’s description of her
experience with the Able
Personnel Co. sounds similar to
others’ accounts of working for
Diverse Personnel Co. After
arriving here, many workers find
themselves struggling to get by,
she says.
“A lot of people go to the
Salvation Army for food
because they’ve got to send
money to their families,” Rivera
says. “After my brother and my
mom left the job, they charged
them $200 because they
supposedly broke the contract.”
Rivera, 22, arrived from
Puerto Rico in May 2007.
“Some guy from the
company goes to Puerto Rico,”
she says. “He pays $50 for
every person who got sent here.
They have a person who saw
you in the street or something
and they told you about this
company. They say they pay for
your housing, and they give you
transportation. But they don’t
say you have to pay for it from
your paycheck. Once people
get here, they find out. One of
the guys who used to work for
Able had to sleep on the floor
for three months when he got
here.”
Rivera says that when she
and her family expressed a
desire to live in an apartment of
their own choosing, company
officials said such a move would
cost them their jobs.
“They bring people from
Puerto Rico to here – and then
they throw them in the streets,”
she says.
The UFCW flier echoes
Rivera’s allegations.
“In one instance, Able/
Diverse Personnel told the
workers they could leave but
they would have to continue to
pay for rent at the company
Streetvibes Investigation 5
apartments or they would be would take breaks. Some is somewhat puzzled by the use saw many people get hurt on the
fired,” the flier says. workers were not even allowed of the word ‘complaints’ with job because of improper training
Contracts with Diverse to take breaks, and they were reference to SOWRB. It is the and because of the pressure to
require workers to pay $7 per working sometimes 72 hours a company’s understanding that at work too fast.”
person per day for week.” most SOWRB received Aide Rodriguez’s statement
transportation to work. In January, the Workers’ allegations from former contains an accusation, repeated
“It’s less than one mile from Rights Board sent Cincinnati employees, who insisted on by other workers, that
the apartment to the job,” Processing and the Kroger Co. anonymity. … In addition, it was prompted Cincinnati Processing
Santiago says. a lengthy list of workers’ obvious that SOWRB to threaten a lawsuit against the
As with the rent charges, complaints: “Work necessary accepted as true whatever was SOWRB.
the transportation “service” for two workers is done by one. told to them, even though many “There were also times
appears to be lucrative for the … Supervisors have come to of the allegations were obviously when meat would fall on the
employment agency. work drunk and drink on the false and others displayed a floor, and they would just pick
“They also charge folks $7 job. Supervisors asked complete misunderstanding of up the meat and put it back on
a day in transportation fees, even employees to perform sexual how the meat processing the line. … One thing that’s for
if their worksite is only one mile acts. Supervisors imply that this industry works and how it is sure is that, after working at
away, and they take groups of is the only way they will receive regulated. It was clear that Cincinnati Processing, I will
folks in buses S O W R B never buy meat from Kroger,
or vans,” the was either because the condition in which
UFCW says. “I received no orientation whatsoever, hopelessly the meat is handled is very bad,”
Not all of and I saw many people get hurt on the naïve or so Aide Rodriguez’s statement
the workers are job because of improper training and u n f a i r l y says.
Puerto Ricans. because of the pressure to
J a c k i e work too fast.”
Robinson (not
his real name)
says he worked in the favorable treatment. … The
Salvadoran secret service supervisors harassed,
before obtaining political asylum humiliated and intimidated
in the United States. Assigned some employees through
to a job at Cincinnati verbal abuse. Employees who
Processing, a company that approach supervisors with
processes pork for the Kroger sincere complaints and/or
Co., Robinson explained suggestions for improvement
through an interpreter what he are disrespected, i.e., they are
thinks of the working conditions. threatened with termination or
“So pretty much we are cursed at.”
slaves,” he says. “If something The board requested a
happens to us, we get fired and meeting to discuss the
they get somebody else. They complaints. In a Jan. 30 reply,
are making more money off us, Dennis Hilgeman, general
and we are their slaves making manager of Cincinnati
all their money.” Processing, said thanks – but
no thanks.
‘I saw many get hurt’ “While the company
appreciates your bringing these
It was working conditions allegations to its attention, it
at Cincinnati Processing that first would be inappropriate for the
prompted workers last year to company to meet or otherwise
contact the Southwest Ohio deal with your organization
Workers Center, affiliated with about matters involving its
UFCW, and the Interfaith employees,” Hilgeman wrote.
Workers Center. “The company has retained an
“Starting about August of independent investigator to Union organizer Ellen Dienger has been helping Latino workers.
last year, we heard some investigate the complaints Photograph by Andrew Anderson.
complaints from immigrant raised in the report.”
workers about how they were Lynn D. Pundzak, an partisan that they had no Maria Gomez (not her real
treated at Cincinnati attorney hired by Cincinnati concern for the truth.” name) of Fairfield wrapped
Processing,” Sherman says. Processing to conduct the But Hilgeman is wrong. Not meat at Cincinnati Processing
“We felt the best way to address investigation, referred a all the complaints about until she was fired last fall.
the problem was through the reporter ’s questions to Cincinnati Processing have been Speaking through an interpreter,
community, so we jointly formed company attorney Jim Mills. He given on condition of anonymity. she makes the same charge
the Southwest Ohio Workers’ in turn relayed to Hilgeman a One of the workers who about sanitation at the plant.
Rights Board with religious and request for an interview and a complained about the company “A lot of times, if the meat
community activists who in copy of the investigator’s was Aide Rodriguez, who was fell on the floor, they wouldn’t
December held a hearing with report. In letters relayed by fired in October 2007. The do what they’re supposed to
six workers. They described Mills to Streetvibes, Hilgeman UFCW provided a copy of do,” Gomez says. “They’re
the situation at Cincinnati declined both requests. Rodriguez’s statement, titled supposed to spray it, but they’d
Processing. Hilgeman’s letter to the “Cincinnati Processing Worker just put it in the packages. I saw
“This one woman had Southwest Ohio Workers’ I Testimony.” it with my own eyes. Even the
diabetes but they wouldn’t let Rights Board (SOWRB) used “When I started working, I supervisor saw it. The new
her take her medicine. The the word “complaints,” but in his was never properly trained on people hadn’t been trained.
supervisors only let her take the May 20 reply to Streetvibes, he how to use the knives or how They picked it up, and the
medicine at certain times. They bristles at the use of the term. to use the chemicals,” the supervisors didn’t say anything.
had several supervisors who “No interview is called for,” statement says. “I received no
would make decisions on who Hilgeman writes. “The company orientation whatsoever, and I Continued on page 6

6 Streetvibes Investigation
Continued from page 5
It would already be on the
Styrofoam plates. The whole
plate would fall on the floor, and
they would pick everything up,
wrap it up and send it to
Kroger.”
“It’s pretty much every day.
They would yell and make them
go so fast, and people couldn’t
even stretch their backs. The
meat would fall on the floor all
the time because they would
work so fast.”
‘They’re coming’
Sexual harassment was
common at Cincinnati
Processing, according to
Gomez and Jackie Robinson.
“When the supervisors saw
that Dennis gave me a piece of
candy, they said there must be
something going on,” Gomez
says. “They would say, ‘Did
you go under his desk and do
something for him?’ I liked the
work and really enjoyed my job.
I just didn’t understand the way
they treated me, the way they
harassed me sexually and made
us work so hard.
“They’d say, ‘Work as fast
as you move at night. Move as
fast as you do when you’re
having sex.’ “
Sometimes injuries resulted
from pressure to work faster,
Gomez says.
“One day they had a lot of
meat to cut,” she says. “They
were cutting pork feet. They
had a lot of feet to cut. One of
the supervisors told one of the
workers, ‘You’ve got to go
faster! You’ve got to go faster!’
He cut himself. He lost part of
his finger. They took him to the
hospital. They did not call an
ambulance. They didn’t stop
the line. They didn’t clean the
knives. They didn’t do
anything.”
In a letter to Streetvibes,
Hilgeman, the plant manager,
briefly defended the company’s
safety record.
“As you might expect, there
have been cuts from time to
time, and the company has
complied with all OSHA record
keeping requirements,” the
letter says.
The local office of the
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has no
record of safety violations at
Cincinnati Processing,
according to Area Director
Dick Gilchrist.
“We have nothing on that
company, and normally we are
familiar with meatpackers
because there aren’t many of
them left, and they also tend to
be high-hazard industries,” he
says.
Asked to respond to
allegations of unsanitary food
handling, Hilgeman writes,
“Cincinnati Processing has an
unquestioned record of
providing quality services and of
compliance with rigorous safety
and sanitation standards. The
company’s operations and
records are closely monitored
by onsite USDA inspectors.”
But several workers say that
supervisors know when USDA
or Kroger personnel will be
“One of the supervisors told one of the
workers, ‘You’ve got to go faster!
You’ve got to go faster!’ He cut himself.
He lost part of his finger. They took him
to the hospital. They did not call an
ambulance. They didn’t stop the line.
They didn’t clean the knives. They
didn’t do anything.”
inspecting, and the operation
temporarily improves. An e-mail
criticizing the company,
circulated by members of the
Workers’ Rights Board, says
visits by Kroger personnel were
announced in advance.
“Obviously, Kroger
employees stop by the plant to
inspect the working conditions
and standards but the
employees at Cincinnati
Processing explained these visits
are planned in advance,” the
statement says. “Management
and supervisors know in
advance when Kroger
representatives are coming and,
of course, make sure everything
is perfect on those days.”
The same is true of
inspections by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
(USDA), according to Gomez.
“They came in and checked
things, but they always knew
before they were going to
come,” she says. “Dennis would
say, ‘They’re coming,’ and
everything would be done
slower. They would clean.”
In his letter, Hilgeman says
the “false statements” about the
company should be checked
against USDA records.
“It would be reckless for
anyone to repeat or otherwise
publish these false allegations
without checking the company’s
record of USDA compliance,”
the letter says.
Asked for copies of USDA
inspections, Hilgeman says the
company doesn’t have them.
“These are kept by the
USDA, not the company,” he
writes.
Louis Leny, Midwest
regional manager for USDA,
says all records requests must
go through the agency’s office
in Washington, D.C.
“Any request for records
has to go through the FOIA
process,” he says. “I’m not
authorized to release anything.”
A Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) request to USDA
wasn’t answered in time for this
edition.
Hilgeman denied a
reporter’s request to tour the
plant.
Kroger officials have not
responded to the complaint
report by the Workers’ Rights
Board, according to Sherman.
Kroger representatives did not
return a reporter’s calls.
See you in court
The UFCW is the legal
bargaining agent for workers at
Cincinnati Processing — but in
name only, according to Bill
Dudley, director of organizing
and strategic operations for
Local 1099. The union won a
certification election at the plant
more than 10 years ago, but
only after a protracted legal
battle, with the National Labor
Relations Board impounding the
ballots for three years, he says.
By the time UFCW was
certified as the union at
Cincinnati Processing, most of
the employees originally
involved in the campaign had
moved on. The union never
succeeded in negotiating a
contract with the company,
Dudley says.
STREETVIBES
June 2008
Both Diverse and Able companies recruit in Puerto Rico.
Photograph by Andrew Anderson.
“Really we’re still the union says he decided to speak out in
there,” he says. “We never de- the hope that other workers will
certified. We just haven’t had a be spared the death threats,
lot of contact until recently.” sexual harassment and other
Dienger says the union has problems he experienced. He
initiated formal contact with describes the day when he drew
management and hopes to begin the line.
negotiating soon. “They gave me a lot of
When it comes to meat, and the supervisor looked
complaints against Diverse at me and said, ‘You’re really a
Personnel Co., which provides woman, you’re an animal,
temporary workers for you’re good for nothing and
Cincinnati Processing, Club you’ve got to do the work that
Chef, the Castellini Co. and I say, that I give you,’ “ Robinson
others, Dudley says the union says.
isn’t even trying to recruit “And I told him, ‘Look, I’ve
members. seen you look at the women.
“We’re not organizing at You yell and you’re not going
Diverse,” he says. “We would to yell at me ever again, because
just like to help the workers. I in the United States there’s no
think maybe there are things such thing as slavery; there’s no
happening that are not legal.” such thing as a group of slaves.
A legal fight of one sort or … The next time that you
another is almost certain to scream at me, I’m going to get
result from the effort, whether it a ride out of here and call the
involves the FBI, federal sheriff.’ “
regulatory agencies or The confrontation worked
defamation lawsuits. In addition – at least temporarily.
to the threat by Cincinnati “Everybody stopped for a
Processing to sue the Southwest number of minutes and looked
Ohio Workers’ Rights Board, up, and they said, ‘That old fuck
that company’s lawyer and the has quite a temper’ — in front
attorney for Diverse Personnel of everybody. Then that man
Co. intimated in letters to stopped talking to me for six
Streetvibes that it risked legal days.”
action in pursuing this story. Now Robinson and his co-
Jackie Robinson, who workers say they want a
worked for both companies, solution that lasts.
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