Posted on 08/06/2008 1:12:41 PM PDT by dvan
Labor Day Still Recognized at Tyson Foods
Union Contract Provision only at Shelbyville, TN Plant
Springdale, Arkansas – August 4, 2008 – Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day is still a holiday at Tyson Foods. This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, TN.
The majority of employees at the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, TN, are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Stores Union (RWDSU), an American union that asked for and received Eid al-Fitr, as one of their eight paid holidays, in place of Labor Day.
This applies only to the Shelbyville plant and resulted as part of the union contract negotiated last fall. This change does not apply to Tyson's other 118 plants. This is not a religious accommodation rather, it is part of a union-initiated contract demand.
This change came about as a result of union demands brought to the negotiating table, and was agreed upon by Tyson in an effort to reach a contractual agreement with the union. The contract that calls for this change was unanimously recommended by the 12-person union bargaining committee, which included three Somali employees. The contract was then overwhelmingly agreed to by 80-percent of the rank and file membership of the union at the Shelbyville plant.
The Muslim population at the Shelbyville plant is primarily composed of approximately 250 Somali employees, who are political refugees, most of whom came to the plant as a result of refugee resettlement efforts based in Nashville. They were employed at the plant through the Tennessee Department of Employment Security office.
The Shelbyville complex employs approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 1,000 workers are covered by the union agreement at Shelbyville.
Libby Lawson, a Tyson spokeswoman, noted that the plant had three Christian chaplains and prayer rooms for Muslims and Christians alike.
Each plant at Tyson Foods provides a chaplain as an extra benefit for its team members and their families. The chaplain is an ordained minister, endorsed by his or her church to serve as a chaplain. Tyson Chaplain Services provides compassionate pastoral care and ministry to Tyson Team Members and their families, regardless of their religious or spiritual affiliation or beliefs.
Christina Self Tyson Foods, Inc. www.tysonfoodsinc.com 800-233-6332
Last time I checked, Islam was a religion. But that’s OK. I don’t buy Tyson chicken anyhow.
Shelbyville?
That’s right down the road from Springfield.
And this is suppose to make me feel all cozy to know it is only in one area. Who cares, they should be shut down.
Who in their right mind, would knowingly buy food that was processed by Muslims?
Smells like rotten chicken to me!
No more Tyson chicken for me .. in deferrence to the union there in Shelbyville, I’m switching to ham
That part is a lie. The refugee organizations in Nashville didn't know there were Somalians in Nashville until early this year.
As Michael Savage asked a caller who was ok with this yesterday, "how would you feel if they replaced Martin Luther King Day with a religeous holiday?"
islam is not, nor has it ever been, a religion.
See tagline.
L
“Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day is still a holiday at Tyson Foods. This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, TN.”
This is contradictory. It IS a change. It is the principle of the matter. We are then told it is NOT religious but it IS a religious holiday.
Snopes will probably call this another FALSE rumor.
Are these separate but equal prayer rooms or a common area open to use by anyone of any faith?
all the other articles on this had the number of Somalis at 700 out of 1200.
Reverend Martin Luther was identified as a holy man. It is a national religous holiday.
I don't see where they've caved in at all.
omitted the King in error.
So you only have to honor that if you are part of the union?
That seems cost restrictive to me. To run a plant at 30% labor on the whatever muslim holiday.
So are they setting up a system that every employer must allow Muslims to have a “prayer room”?
They didn’t cave. Nothing changed except wording. They allow the non-union members off on Labor Day, but the union members work labor day and get off on the muslim holiday. It’s exactly the same.
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