Dozens of Chilean workers at ST Engineering seek answers after unexpected layoffs

Chilean aircraft mechanics at ST Engineering's Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama, offices say dozens of workers were laid off without warning after being recruited and moving their families to the U.S.

Workers say they were recruited to work in the U.S. for at least three years on H-1B visas, but in May, as their first-year visa renewal came up, they were told they were being "suspended" from work.

"They say that they cannot let you get into work because your visa or your I-94 is expired, and they are going to fix it," Victor Ramos said. "But at the same time, they say that they're going to pay you for only two weeks, and after that, it's up to you. You can go back to Chile if you want to wait there, or you can stay (in the U.S.) waiting, but you can choose the best for your family."

Ramos was a quality control inspector for ST Engineering at its VT MAE facility in Mobile, Alabama, and was among four former ST Engineering workers the News Journal interviewed on Tuesday.

All told similar stories of being called into an office at ST Engineering and told they were being suspended with two weeks of pay because there were "problems" with their visas, but when asked for more information, they were given the contact of an ST Engineering attorney who has not responded to any questions.

"When you ask about if they are firing us, they don't say nothing, they deny," Ramos said.

Disputes about visa problems

Ramos said his H-1B visa doesn't expire until November, and he submitted all of his annual renewal paperwork to ST Engineering attorneys who handle the visa renewal in February, but the company has sent him a letter telling him his visa is expired, and he must leave the U.S. within 180 days. The company said it would pay a "reasonable" moving cost for a return flight to Chile.

Representatives with ST Engineering did not return the News Journal's request for comment; however, in statements to other media outlets, the company said the visas are temporary and not guaranteed for renewal, and it is looking for alternative work-based visa options for some workers.

The workers said some people began to be terminated instead of suspended after some talked to investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Samuel Navarrete, an aircraft mechanic who retired from the Chilean Air Force to take the job with ST Engineering, said investigators with the labor department have spoken to several workers, including him, and many of the questions were focused on his recruitment in Chile.

The U.S. Department of Labor did not respond to the News Journal's request for comment.

'We sold everything.'

ST Engineering was recruiting workers to come work in the U.S. on H-1B visas, which have an initial 18-month visa and renewals each year for up to three years. A 2023 Chilean news article said the company had recruited 200 workers and was looking to hire 100 more, offering pay of $28 an hour.

The article interviews a Chilean named Felipe Soto. He said he was crew chief at the Pensacola office and had been promoted to his position. After working at the company for two years, he made a salary of $108,000 a year.

The workers who spoke to the News Journal on Tuesday said in Chile, they were told the program could last 10 years. They were told it was at least a three-year commitment and their I-94 immigration document had a three-year expiration date though they had to renew their visas every year through a process that included traveling back to Chile or another foreign country and conducting an interview at a U.S. embassy.

As part of the recruitment, the workers said that ST Engineering attorneys would handle all the immigration paperwork and pay for their flights for their renewal interviews. Additionally, ST Engineering handled paperwork for their family members, too.

"We sold everything, homes and cars, to move here," Navarrete said.

Ulises Rojas, an aircraft mechanic who specializes in aircraft sheet metal work, moved his family, and his son is now attending a local university. Rojas said he has had talks with other employers who were willing to sponsor his H-1B visa, but a typo discrepancy between his I-94 immigration document and his visa prevented them from offering the job. He said he needs ST Engineering's help to fix the issue with the paperwork with the U.S. government, but all of his requests to the company have gone unanswered.

On Wednesday, Rojas was able to meet with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, and they were able to fix the discrepancy in his immigration paperwork.

Navarrete also said his questions to the point of contact the company gave him for immigration questions have gone unanswered.

"We've reached out to them several times and never received an email," Navarrete said.

"Never," Rojas said, emphasizing Navarrete's comment.

Taxpayer funding ST Engineering expansion

ST Engineering's operations in Pensacola have been heavily supported with economic subsidies of $210 million from taxpayer dollars and the company will have 1,700 workers when the campus is complete. The city of Pensacola is building the ST Engineering campus using a combination of local, state, and federal funds. Construction on Hangar No. 3 began off Tippin Avenue in June . ST Engineering's operations in Mobile, known as VT MAE, have also received economic development support from the state of Alabama.

The workers say there is a close community of 300 Chilean workers in both Pensacola and Mobile, and since May the number of workers that have been told they can no longer come to work has grown to 45. The four workers said it was announced to staff earlier this month in Pensacola and Mobile that none of the Chilean workers will have their visas renewed.

Grace Resendez McCaffery, the publisher of the Pensacola-based La Costa Latina Newspaper, a Spanish-language newspaper that covers Northwest Florida and South Alabama, has taken up the cause of the workers and helped connect them with resources.

McCaffery said she believes local leaders should speak up about the situation.

"They came here to settle here and to be Pensacolians and Mobilians," Resendez McCaffery said. "And I think that our community leaders and our community, in general, should pay attention to what's happening and demand that ST do the right thing in getting them that severance and job placement and immigration issues straightened out – those three things – and not allow for companies to come into his community do that again."

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said Tuesday he's sympathetic to the workers, but the city is not in a position to become a "referee" on the situation.

"We all work to support our families and to have a quality of life, and to hear stories of that, regardless of the circumstances, fair or unfair, you don't want to hear that people are in a difficult position that's affecting their quality of life," Reeves said. "If we can be supportive in any way to help that, yes. I just don't know that myself or the city are qualified to pick winners and losers on who is doing something right and who's doing something wrong or what they should expect."

As far as ST Engineering going overseas to recruit workers, Reeves also said it speaks to the need to open up an aircraft mechanic school at Pensacola State College to fill the need for workers locally.

Reeves added even workers brought on temporary visas or other parts of the region still boost local businesses.

"Maybe it's not the maximum economic impact that we want to see, but that's not to say that it doesn't bring some value to our community," Reeves said.

Navarrete said it would be a misconception that they're taking jobs from U.S. workers. He said there's more demand for certified aircraft mechanics than there are workers.

"The aeronautical industry is growing so fast that there is a lack of workers," Navarrete said. "So, even if the U.S. can make the aircraft technicians, we still need migrants to fill all the jobs."

Lost time to find new visa sponsors

Under the H1-B visa the workers are under, they should have 60 days to find another employer who would be willing to sponsor them to stay in the U.S., but without an official last date of employment, they were left in limbo without a way to apply for a new job or make money legally in the U.S.

It wasn't until after the workers spoke at the Pensacola City Council last week to ask for community leaders to help with the situation, that they began to receive letters with their last official day of employment a few days later. Ramos received the official letter on Monday, but the letter said his last official day of employment was June 26, which means he missed out on nearly a month of searching for a new sponsor for his visa.

Ramos said the company had previously told him that he could apply for a "J" visa or exchange visitor visa and showed the News Journal a June 27 letter from ST Engineering offering to sponsor him for the visa. The visas are typically reserved for students but can also be used for professionals with specialized skills to teach or observe their specialized skills. Typically, it is used for professors, research scholars, or physicians, according to the Department of State's website.

Ramos said he doesn't understand why he would be approved for an education visa when he came to the U.S. with all the necessary certifications, but to get the visa, he'd have to return to Chile for up to three months.

Ramos said to take that visa, he'd lose everything he's built in the U.S. in the last 16 months and disrupt his daughter's school to apply for this new visa, but beyond that, Ramos said he doesn't think he can trust ST Engineering to apply for the visa once he's back in Chile.

"I love this country," Ramos said. "I'm really glad to stay here because I enjoy living here in Mobile. It's a good place to live and stay with your family. But the problem is the company and the way that they handle the situation. If they could, could tell us before with time, none of this would be happening."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Dozens of Chilean workers at ST Engineering seek answers after unexpected layoffs