(The following article by Monifa Thomas was posted on the Chicago Sun-Times website on December 22.)
CHICAGO — The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Thursday called for the rehiring of 31 Chicago area rail workers who said they were fired because their criminal records posed homeland security concerns.
An attorney for the group, all former employees of H & M International Transportation, said most of the workers received termination letters in November, explaining that they could no longer work on railroad property because a background check had turned up at least one felony conviction in the last seven years.
Yet, the fired workers, some of whom had been on the job for longer than seven years, contend that their criminal backgrounds were no secret to H & M at the time of their hiring, attorney Tamara Holder said.
Terrorism link unclear
The wording in one letter suggests that H & M — which provides workers for railyard terminals operated by Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and other railroad companies — adopted a new policy toward its ex-con employees because of “additional security procedures” required by its railroad partners, including periodic background checks.
None of the letters provided to the Chicago Sun-Times specify whether the intent of the new security procedures is to prevent terrorism, but some of the workers said that’s what they were told when they inquired with H & M about losing their jobs.
All 31 are African-American
H & M President Charles Connors would not discuss the terminations, saying in a statement, “H & M has acted appropriately and fairly towards its employees while following requirements placed upon H & M with respect to background checks.”
Jackson said firing workers who had proven themselves to be reliable, hard workers after they paid their debt to society was a violation of their rights. He noted that all of the people fired are African-American men and suggested that racism may have played a role.
“Ex-felons are not terrorists,” he said. “To smear them into that category is unjust.”
Jackson added, “Unemployment leads to recidivism.”
Holder said the vast majority of the men, like 35-year-old Lloyd Grant, were convicted on felony drug and gun-possession charges.
Grant, an H & M employee for six years, said he feels betrayed.
“It’s hard to find a good job when you’re an ex-felon,” Grant said. “For [H & M] to just swipe it out from under me, it’s very hard to take. I just bought a house.”
The workers plan to file a lawsuit.