MISSOURI Undocumented Workers Fighting the System Seeking to Regain Contract Work

Janitorial Contractor Fights to Regain Business

An Oklahoma-based janitorial contractor who claims Missouri wrongly put him out of business two years ago over allegations he employed illegal immigrants said this week in court that he wants to once again clean buildings, according to The Associated Press.

Missouri canceled nine contracts with the business after state and federal authorities detained approximately two dozen of the company’s Jefferson City workers during a March 2007 immigration sting. The janitorial service, which also serviced buildings in Kansas City and Columbia, was prohibited from applying for new state contracts.

The owner filed a lawsuit in fall 2007 and accused Missouri’s governor at the time of abusing his power. The owner contends he checked his employees’ documents and denied knowingly hiring any illegal immigrants.

Missouri‘s assistant attorney general, who backed terminating the contracts, said the employer was required to follow local, state and federal laws and that a clause allowed for the contracts to be ended without notice if laws were broken. The assistant AG claims that the immigration raid gave the state a reasonable belief that a federal law was violated. He added that the contract also permitted the state to terminate it for any reason with 30 days notice. A Cole County judge gave attorneys two weeks to submit any written arguments. (workersxzcompxzkit)

Only a small number of the janitors caught in the immigration sting were found guilty or pleaded guilty to any crimes.

Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers’ Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: [email protected] or 860-786-8286.

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