Free Republic

Tyson Foods says that Labor Day is still a holiday, but not for the union employees at the Shelbyville poultry processing facility, who will be taking off the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr instead. Meanwhile, the union that negotiated the controversial contract at the Shelbyville plant has removed the original press release announcing the holiday change from its web site, and the union president has described the backlash to the decision as "bigotry." The union had stated in a June 19 press release that 700 Muslims worked at the plant, while Tyson repeated Tuesday that there are only 250 Somalis...

I sent an email to Tyson regarding my thoughts on the celebration of a Muslim holiday and the following is their response..... as a liberal once told me you vote with your dollars, I won't be buying Tyson.... "Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day has not been done away with at the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, TN. Recent RWDSU (Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union) contract negotiations resulted in a different holiday for workers covered by the contract, for which the union bargained. Employees not covered by the contract will still have Labor Day as a paid holiday. The union...

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. -- Some workers at a local plant will no longer to be able to take their Labor Day holiday because of religious reasons. Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. According to a news release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a new five-year contract at the plant included the change to accommodate Muslim workers at the plant. Tyson's director of media relations Gary Mickelson said the contract includes eight paid holidays...