Hudson County Worker’s Death Sparks Outrage, Calls For Change

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — One of the most notoriously unsafe and exploitative professions in New Jersey has struck again, labor advocates say.

On Monday night, family, friends and supporters of Edilberto Caicedo gathered for a rally in his name outside the T.I. Logistics warehouse in Kearny.

According to his co-workers and attorney, Caicedo – a 58-year-old immigrant from Colombia – was killed while working for an unlicensed temp agency at the warehouse in August. Caicedo’s skull was crushed when he fell off a truck while driving a forklift. He was left brain dead, and ultimately passed away from his injuries.

Advocates with Make The Road New Jersey said Caicedo was a “perma-temp,” an employee hired as a temp worker more than a year ago. Like other such workers, he had fewer benefits or protections than people employed directly by the company.

And in the end, it may have cost his life, advocates said.

During Monday’s rally, Caicedo’s sister, Janet, offered a passionate plea – in Spanish and English – for her brother’s death to represent the beginning of a new era for temp workers in New Jersey.

Caicedo came to the United States about two and a half years ago seeking a better life, eventually settling in Elizabeth. He was willing to pitch in and contribute to his new country, and was always trying to learn how to be “a better citizen,” his sister said.

In a tragic twist, Caicedo got his wish when he became an organ donor, saving four lives in the process, according to his bereaved sibling.

“He always said if something happens to me, I want to be a donor,” Caicedo recalled with tears in her eyes.

Janet Caicedo and her brother’s supporters are now demanding an investigation into hiring practices involving temp agencies, which employ roughly 127,000 workers in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Advocates are also calling for two corporations that allegedly do business with T.I. Logistics – CVS and American Eagle – to cut ties with the company.

Patch has reached out to T.I. Logistics for comment on Caicedo’s death and its hiring policies regarding temp workers. We’ll update this article with any reply we receive.

According to Make The Road New Jersey, the lives of thousands of temp workers across the state are still at risk.

“Out of 142 distinct logistics facilities captured in a New Jersey survey of the National Employment Law Project, over half had workers employed through staffing agencies working at their sites,” the group said.

On average, agency workers made up more than half of the total workforce at these sites – about 61.4 percent. Three-quarters were “perma-temps,” who like Edilberto, are dispatched to the same employer every day, Make The Road New Jersey stated.

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