Snapshots from Triumph Foods

KQ2 has been bringing you snapshots of what is allegedly happening at triumph Foods. Employees continue to contact KQ2 with concerns that vary from contract disputes to bias in favor of hispanic employees. But from phone calls to emails to even one man we met in Triumph`s parking lot after work, tell much of the same story from inside the pork processing plant. One continual concern from most employees past and present is whether Triumph hires undocumented, or illegal, immigrants. "You would notice it on Saturdays--this high population of hispanic workers coming in with blankets and their children, coming in with luggage, and they were processing them as they got off the buses," A former employee who wishes to remain anonymous, says. Triumph recruiting director Ruth Costello, says that simply cannot be true. In a report Triumph gave to the city, Chief Financial Officer Joseph Diebold certifies that the company does not employ illegal aliens. Diebold signs off saying the company examines appropriate documents to verify that an individual is not an unathorized alien. Clint Thompson, St. Joseph`s planning and community services director, says the city will perform an audit of Triumph`s report. The city will ask for verification of the number of employees the company has hired as well as legal work documentation of its employees. Thompson says the audit committee will begin by taking a random sample of social security numbers to check their legitimacy. St. Joseph City Manager Vince Capell says, so far, Triumph has been forthcoming with requested documents. "The redevelopment agreement anticipates that we would go out there and do this review, so if they`re inclined to, they`re not going to be able to hide anything," Capell says. A Triumph employee who identifies herself as a 38-year-old single mother named Julie tells KQ2 in an email that Triumph foods is a godsend. She applaudes the company`s medical staff and assistance Ttriumph offers to its employees. Julie says the plant does not glorify work duties and says the people who complain are whiners. Julie also says that the [hispanic] employees she works with bring a breath of fresh air. KQ2 visited Grace House, a store where newcomers can get household goods and clothing for free. The store is run by Ruth Costello, a Triumph recruitment manager, yet she insists the store has nothing to do with Triumph. A woman helping her run the store, Maria, is also a triumph employee from Honduras. The women say they can`t stand to see any newcomers do without, and Tyshire Devenport and her family couldn`t be more thankful for a helping hand. Devenport recently moved to St. Joseph and has yet to find a job. She says she can`t receive help from local charities because she is not yet a St. Joseph resident. "I moved here from New Mexico not too long ago, so it just kind of helps me out with a few items i need for my house and for my children," Devenport says. "Right now I don`t have any income coming in, so it kind of helps out." Costello says Devenport is exactly the type of person her store helps--anyone who needs help with the basics.