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These essential workers are afraid to report labor violations
A fatal industrial accident in Georgia fuels calls for more protections for immigrant workers fearful of cooperating with investigations.
Tanks of liquid nitrogen are seen at the Prime Pak Foods poultry processing plant after a liquid nitrogen leak earlier in the day resulted in six deaths and multiple hospitalizations on January 28, 2021, in Gainesville, Georgia. (Elijah Nouvelage / AFP via Getty Images)
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An industrial accident last year shook Gainesville, Georgia, the self-proclaimed “Chicken Capital of the World.” Six poultry-processing workers died when nitrogen gas used to freeze chicken leaked into a factory room and asphyxiated them.
Five of the six people killed were Mexican nationals — as were many survivors at the plant. Some were reluctant to accept medical aid or speak to federal investigators.
Their hesitation wasn’t unusual, labor advocates say.
Gainesville, the Center for Public Integrity reported in 2020, is one of many U.S. communities where immigrants are the backbone of essential food production. The pandemic sickened and killed poultry workers in Gainesville. The 2021 accident, which investigators found was preventable, is fueling demands for labor officials to do more to support immigrants who fear retaliation if they report safety and wage violations.
Even if workers are not themselves undocumented, members of their family or co-workers might be. Fear that employers will call immigration authorities can deter workers from trusting that they won’t suffer consequences by complaining.
To address that, advocates are urging Labor and Homeland Security officials to work together more often to grant temporary protection from deportation to undocumented workers who cooperate with investigators. Temporary work permits would also help ensure workers won’t fear losing livelihoods if they speak up, advocates say.
If undocumented workers are victims of crimes, officials could also help by more often obtaining residency visas for those who cooperate with investigations, said Shelly Anand, a former Labor Department attorney with Sur Legal Collaborative, a group that represents immigrant workers.
The evening of the Gainesville accident, the collaborative helped set up a Facebook presentation explaining workers’ rights and how a Labor Department investigation would unfold. The event drew 9,000 views. Lawyers later met with survivors.
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