If this is true, it’s absolutely despicable (emphasis mine):
On March 30 2010, Edgar Enciso began working as Human Resources Manager for Talgo, Inc., the American subsidiary of Patentes Talgo S.L., based in Madrid, Spain. Talgo, which manufactures and maintains high speed trains, established operations in Seattle, WA in 1994 and was recently awarded a contract to begin manufacturing and maintaining trains in Milwaukee, WI.
While Enciso was at Talgo, Inc.’s Seattle location for orientation, he uncovered discrimination against non-Spaniard employees by Spaniard management. As HR Manager, Enciso attempted to investigate and eliminate such practices, but George Hlebechuk, CFO, and Antonio Perez, CEO, blocked his efforts to enforce U.S. laws.
During Talgo’s hiring process in Milwaukee, Yolanda Juanas, Director of Human Resources at Patentes Talgo, Marta Alonso Perez, Juanas’ assistant, and Javier Palomo, the future Facility Manager in Milwaukee, demanded that Enciso discriminate against applicants based on their age and ethnicity/national origin. Palomo also asked Enciso to provide pictures of each applicant as a screening tool. Moreover, Patentes Talgo’s representatives were interviewing and hiring for the Milwaukee location on tourist visas, in violation of U.S. immigration laws.
For opposing and refusing to violate U.S. anti-discrimination laws, Enciso was fired as HR Manager on June 15, 2010, only two months after he was hired, and the day before Juanas and Alonso Perez arrived in Wisconsin for a second round of interviews.
The Equal Rights Division of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is investigating the claims made by Edgar Enciso, and I’ll have more on this story as it develops.
And if this is not true, your post only serves to republish this defamatory claim. Way to go.
Apparently Wendy took issue with your principled stand on this story, Zach. On the contrary, I think you should be commended.
I myself worked for Talgo I am a 24 year old Latina, & as far as discrimination goes I never witnessed any of that. The office I worked in was of mixed ethnicity & age. So Edgar’s law suit against this company is bogus! I enjoyed the opportunity that I was given to work for this company.