At least 200 people were fired from their jobs at Pro’s Ranch Markets locations in Kern County Tuesday as a result of a routine I-9 audit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The business has two locations in Bakersfield, and one each in Delano and Arvin. The employees received the news Tuesday, said Julie A. Pace, company attorney with The Cavanagh Law Firm.
Anyone found ineligible to work has the right to contest ICE’s findings, Pace said. So far, between 12 and 20 employees who were at first declared ineligible have kept their jobs after contesting the matter.
The I-9 form is used to confirm that an employee is authorized to work in the United States.
In all, Pro’s Ranch Markets lost about 20 percent of its 3,500-employee workforce from its 12 stores in four states, Pace said. That’s actually on the lower end of the spectrum compared to some of the companies she’s represented in the past.
"It’s not surprising," Pace said. She said she’s seen as high as 90 percent of workers lose their jobs.
Store operations are continuing as usual and there will be no effect on customers, she said. The hiring process to replace lost workers has already begun, and some employees have been crosstrained so they can handle more duties.
Pro’s Ranch Markets was one of more than 1,000 companies identified for an audit in November 2009, Pace said.
ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said it’s ICE’s policy not to confirm audits or other investigations until they’re complete and she could not talk specifically about any current cases, including whether any employer doing business in Kern County was impacted.
Speaking generally, the audits are part of ICE’s strategy to enforce employer compliance with the law so they only hire employees who can legally work in the United States, she said.
She said whether employers are fined or not depends on what they do when they receive the results of the audit. In many cases, employers take the appropriate action and no fine is necessary.
There are also a variety of reasons why people could be illegally hired in the first place, Haley said. An employee may have made an honest mistake, or they may have used false documents or stolen someone’s Social Security information when filling out their I-9.
"If an audit does happen, it gives the employer a chance to resolve the issue with an employee," Haley said.
Pace, the attorney, said it was a somber atmosphere at Pro’s Ranch Markets’ Kern locations Tuesday. She made sure there was plenty of water and tissues on hand when employees who were being let go were told the news.
"It was sad," she said. "We all cried
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x1008887779/More-than-200-employees-let-go-from-Pros-Ranch-Market-after-I-9-audit
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