September, 2006

'The heat is on Smithfield'

Workers fight for justice at North Carolina pork processing plant

By Libby Manly

Quincy Harvey PHOTO/DAVID BACON

Quincy Harvey worked on the kill floor at Smithfield's Tar Heel, N.C. plant for almost 10 years before he tore his rotator cuff. His job required him to use a heavy saw to open thousands of hog carcasses a day. Like hundreds of other workers, Smithfield claims that Quincy's injury was not work related, denying his workers compensation claim. Smithfield then fired Quincy for "over-extending his leave" when he could not come back promptly after having surgery to repair the injury. Quincy is now stuck with a hospital bill of $13,000.

Hundreds of other Smithfield workers have echoed this same theme: Smithfield is a dangerous place to work. When workers report injuries, they are often retaliated against and fired. When workers try to stand up for themselves and improve their working conditions, Smithfield squashes the effort with threats, intimidation and even with violence.

The injustices Smithfield has committed against North Carolina workers are atrocious. That's why the Justice at Smithfield Campaign of the United Food and Commercial Workers launched a national education campaign in June to educate consumers about widespread abuses at Smithfield's Tar Heel, N.C. plant. Since June, consumer education actions and church rallies have been held in Asheville, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fayetteville, Greensboro, New York, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington D.C., and Wilmington.

"This is a chance to say no to a company that feels they can terrorize workers at will. We are issuing a moral appeal to supermarkets to think twice about purchasing Smithfield products from that plant," says Rev. Graylan Hagler, national president of Ministers for Racial, Social and Economic Justice.

Smithfield workers protesting PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED

The US Court of Appeals recently ruled that Smithfield repeatedly broke the law in battling workers' efforts to unionize in two previous union elections. After a decade of delaying and denying justice for workers, Smithfield has reached the end of its appeals process but refuses to admit any wrongdoing and continues to suppress workers rights to bargain collectively.

Smithfield is now calling for another union election. But what would prevent the company from again terrorizing workers into silence? "The history is so long, the river is so polluted," says Gene Bruskin, UFCW's director of the Smithfield campaign. "The absolute arrogance of the company in thinking they can kick people around for a decade and then come out as champions of democracy and expect people to trust them is a joke."

Workers want an end to the abuse and the intimidation that takes place daily in the plant. They want to have the same rights that Smithfield workers have in other union plants around the country in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Ohio and elsewhere. Tar Heel workers want a safe place to work with dignity and respect and the protection of a union contract. Smithfield workers in Europe have these rights. Even Smithfield workers in Mexico have a union contract. Why are they denying these Black and Latino workers in North Carolina those same rights?

Consumers, union members, civil and immigrant rights advocates, people of faith and students are mobilizing across the country to pressure Smithfield to stop suppressing workers rights. To learn more about how to get involved, go to www.smithfieldjustice.org or contact Libby Manly at 919-491-2262, emanly@ufcw.org.