Agriprocessors Investigated by Labor Services and OSHA Before Raid

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/19015384.html

By Michelle Long, Producer
By Becky Ogann

Story Created: May 16, 2008

Story Updated: May 16, 2008
POSTVILLE - The Iowa Division of Labor Services began investigating Agriprocessors for possible wage and child labor violations about six months before the plant raid.

That came after OSHA found dozens of health and safety violations during inspections.

Documents obtained by TV9 show 39 combined violations from two separate inspections, one last October and one in March. (See those documents in the "related content" to the left).

Several of them cited dangerous and even potentially fatal hazards to employees.

Gail Sheridan-Lucht, Attorney for Iowa's Labor Commissioner, told TV9 the company has paid about $182,000 in fines but still has a few issues to resolve before the cases are closed.

The wage and child labor investigation is also ongoing.