Janitors reinstated by appeals court
"A federal appeals court ordered reinstatement Monday for 33 janitors in Los Angeles who were fired because their Social Security numbers did not match the government's database, a ruling that could strengthen unions' case against a Bush administration proposal to pressure employers to get rid of suspected illegal immigrants.
The decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco did not address the legality of the administration's so-called no-match rule, which a federal judge blocked in October. That rule would threaten employers with civil fines and criminal prosecution unless they fired workers who failed to clear up discrepancies between their Social Security numbers and government records.
But in ordering the Los Angeles janitors rehired with back pay, the court said employees can't be fired merely because the Social Security number they submit differs from the number in the government's files - a major issue in lawsuits over the administration's plan."
BOB EGELKO in the San Francisco Chronicle.