DENVER — Immigration raids that rounded up about 1,300 Swift & Co. workers at six meat plants last month could cost the company up to $30 million, officials said Thursday. Greeley-based Swift said its preliminary estimate of the one-time impact of the raids included $20 million, mostly in lost operating efficiency as new employees are retrained, plus up to $10 million to retain workers and offer hiring incentives to add back production employees.
In Greeley, Swift placed newspaper ads offering new hires a signing bonus of $1,500.
In related news, about 220 former Swift employees arrested during the Dec. 12, 2006 immigration raid now face criminal charges (up from the initial 65 individuals charged with crimes). |