State Trial Audio – Laura Althouse

We are going to continue with non-minor testimony and hear from Laura Althouse. Laura ran payroll for the plant and as such worked in the Human Resources department or HR.

The charges against Sholom first and foremost had to do with the fact that the minors worked in the plant and that the hours they worked under Iowa law was excessive for minors (the hazard charges can only be true if they worked there). As is the case with any charge brought against anyone, each charge has to be proven individually. The State sought to establish employment and the hours worked by each minor by going through payroll records.

Just to note, Laura had a procedure done on her neck/throt that effects her vocal cords and her voice is very raspy as a result. Most of her testimony is clear(ish) but I will highlight the major points just in case you cant make it all out.

For the audio of Mr Miller for the state of Iowa click here (aprox 9:30)

Highlights:

• For the most part she explains her employment background and how the clock in and out system worked at the plant.
• She also explains what details where kept as part of payroll and how the hours where adjusted for payment.

Ed Note: Because the state has to prove that each minor worked there, the state had to spend close to 10 minutes asking her if packet of payroll documents was for that individual worker. We left in one so you get the idea but cut out the other 33. You can get a idea of the length involved just hearing the judge read the numbers of each “exhibit” .

For audio of Mr Weinhardt for the Defense click here (aprox 6:46)

The defense used the opportunity to debunk a lot of the “misinformation” (I think that’s the PC way to say lies) about Agri.

Highlights:

• For starters she explains that just because a worker showed up and punched in at 5:30 AM for a 6:00 AM shift that does not mean that he was paid for that extra half hour. The same would apply to the end of the day and punching out. In other words workers got paid only for the time they where hired to work, not for the hours they chose to be at the plant. (ed: I think this is called “Gang Time”)
• She also explains that everyone was paid overtime (after 40 hours workers where paid a time and half ) and would receive bonuses for good attendance and the like. (This charge was a widely spread “misinformation” (wink wink) in the media about the plant and was till this point excepted as fact.)
• Lastly she pointed out that supervisors didn’t punch in they had to “sign in” at the security gate. The importance of this will be made clear with a different witness.

Ed Note: After listening to the workers (never mind the press) claiming to have worked 10-12 hours a day it was great to hear them talk a bit about how long each shift was. The one they where discussing here ran from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM (that’s 9 hours for those keeping count) not factoring in 2 paid breaks (15 min each) and lunch (30 min-unpaid). For that week (in this case 4 days) he had worked 32 and a quarter hours, 32/4=8. So the worker was hired to work 8 to 9+(depending on the shift) hours and if they worked more it was because they wanted to, might have had something to do with the overtime that was paid.