In the United States, the Orthodox Union (OU) has threatened to withdraw its kosher certification forom the largest kosher meat processing firm, Agriprocessors, unless new management is hired. This follows the filing of criminal charges against Agriprocessors, and it'sowner, Aaron Rubashkin, by Iowa's attorney-general for violations of a ban on employing child labor.
"Within the coming days, or let's say a week or two, we will suspend our supervision unless there is new management in place," said rabbi Menachem Genack, the OU head of kosher supervision. On Tuesday, the attorney general's office charged Rubashkin, his son Sholom and three human resources employees with more than 9,000 violations of Iowa's Child Labor law, according to a statement from the attorney general's office. Former workers had alleged child labor violations at Agriprocessors almost immediately after a massive raid of immigration officials at the plant in Postville, Iowa, the country's largest kosher meatpacking plant. The company has denied having knowingly hired underage workers.
"All of the named individual defendants possessed shared knowledge that Agriprocessors employed undocumented aliens," said the affidavit filed in a district court. "It was likewise shared knowledge among the defendants that many of those workers were minors. The company's hiring practices encouraged job applicants to submit identification documents which were forgeries, and known to contain false information as to resident alien status, age and identity."
Agriprocessors has been under fire since a raid in May resulted in the arrest of nearly 400 employees on illegal immigration charges. Following the raid, employees alleged they were shorted on pay, forced to work long hours and were the targets of sustained sexual harassment. In May, the company announced that the Postville plant's manager, Sholom Rubashkin, would be replaced. Months later, Rubashkin is still a regular presence at the plant and no replacement has been named. The attorney general's complaint represents the first criminal charges to be brought against the company's owner and senior management.
