Despite Utah's reputation for an educated work force that attracts businesses, the president and chief executive officer of Logan's Goss-ner's Foods says there is a problem hiring enough employees needed to fill assembly-line jobs in many companies.
Dolores Wheeler told members of the Utah Board of Business and Economic Development that no one is addressing the problem of retaining employees who take assembly-line jobs. Without sufficient workers, companies can't grow.She said her cheese manufacturing company has 250 employees, 150 of whom have been with the company for many years, and the remainder come and go through a revolving door. She recently fired 10 undocumented workers.
Wheeler said some of the people willing to work are in the country illegally. Once their illegal status is determined, they must be fired or Gossner's can be fined. However, unless the illegal aliens commit a felony, they aren't deported and merely find work elsewhere.
Because Utah's unemployment rate is low, Wheeler said it isn't difficult for people willing to work on the assembly line-type jobs to get a job, but they are unstable and are causing companies problems in keeping good workers.
Wheeler said if companies pay higher wages for the mundane work, prices will increase, especially in the food industry. She said it was difficult to fire the 10 illegal aliens, because they were good workers. Their departure put a huge burden on the remaining employees to maintain production levels.
The illegal aliens could turn to crime if they can't retain their jobs, Wheeler said.