Union win at NC pork plant

[mmonk]

Organized labor got a big boost in the country's least unionized state when workers at the world's largest hog processing plant voted to unionize.

-snip-

The United Food and Commercial Workers union and Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods Inc. (nyse: SFD - news - people ) had tussled ever since the Smithfield Packing Co. plant in rural North Carolina opened in 1992.

-snip-

Smithfield Packing works with unions at eight its 13 plants. But it saw the plant in the hamlet of Tar Heel as so large, with a work force of 5,000, and so central to its production chain that it was determined to keep the union out, North Carolina State University labor historian David Zonderman said Friday.

-snip-

"I think it is a bright spot. The Southeast has traditionally been a hard place for labor to organize," he said. "I think this particular union, the UFCW, is certainly trying to organize other packing plants in the Southeast."

-snip-

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/12/12/ap5816523.html

[VAliberal]

1. excellent news

meat packing and processing plants in the southeast are throwbacks to 1900 in their level of exploitation of labor

[mmonk]

4. Yes. The conditions have been a very big problem

such as locked doors during fires to losing fingers and limbs. It's past time for modern plants and safety.

[Heidi]

6. It's not just the southeast by a _long_ shot.

It's an industry-wide problem.

http://meatindustry.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-minutes-with-don-stull.html

[Lugnut]

2. Yessss!

Organizing one plant at a time is the way to get a foot in the door.

[supernova]

3. This is mega big

KnR!

[Heidi]

5. Kick, kick, kick!

Recommending.

:kick:

[ogneopasno]

7. UNION YES!

[tekisui]

8. Very good, very big news.KNR!

[williesgirl]

9. I believe this is the first of many to come. Then the union execs must behave! rec'd

[mmonk]

10. We can hope.