Former H2B Employees File Lawsuit against Signal International

Signal International L.L.C., a leading Gulf of Mexico provider of marine and fabrication services headquartered in Mobile, Alabama has learned of lawsuits recently filed by its former H2B employees in Texas and Mississippi.

These suits stem from, and are identical to, a suit pending in Federal District Court in New Orleans spearheaded again by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (“SPLC”) agenda to cripple companies during labor shortages who attempt to legally employ workers through the H2B program.

Richard Marler, CEO of Signal, stated, “I am astounded at this abuse of the legal system. These are the same exaggerated claims which have been exposed as false allegations by a Federal Court Judge well over a year and a half ago. Signal made every attempt to bring these H2B workers into the Signal family of employees and treated them with dignity and respect just as we treat each and every Signal employee. ”

In a decisive ruling denying class certification in January of 2012, United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, observed with regard to the allegations made against Signal, “[t]o the contrary, this case involves paid workers who in fact could leave their jobs at any time, albeit under penalty of returning to their home countries but that restriction was dictated by U.S. immigration law. The workers were for the most part paid well, free to come and go as they pleased, and some even took vacations and bought cars. The pressure to work for Signal arguably came at least in part from a set of circumstances that each plaintiff individually brought upon himself when he elected to pay what is now characterized as ‘exorbitant’ fees to participate in the green card program.”

The Court also stated, “plaintiffs were adult men, some of whom had worked overseas before and some of whom were well – educated and savvy. All of the plaintiffs knew that green cards were difficult to get and could only be obtained from the United States government. Plaintiffs were clearly eager to come to the United States – some individuals tried to obtain employment with Signal even without going through the recruiting scheme.”

Richard Marler, further stated, “it has been a long road for Signal and we will continue to fight the good fight. Signal is proud of its reputation developed over the past ten years for safety as well as a good corporate citizen. We look forward to the day where Signal will be vindicated.”

[mappress]
Press release, June 27, 2013