https://socialistaction.org/2018/03/04/virginia-poultry-workers-under-attack-by-cargill/
Virginia poultry workers under attack by Cargill
/ 2 days ago
March 2018 Poultry
Poultry workers and their supporters rallied in Harrisonburg, Va., in
April 2017. (Jesse Knadler / WVTF Radio
By HUGH STEPHENSON
While teachers in West Virginia were occupying the state capitol
building and continued their wildcat strike for increased wages and
better health care, a Cargill poultry processing plant in nearby Dayton,
Va., pursued its campaign to deny the right of plant workers to organize
a union.
Cargill is an international food conglomerate that in 2016 was found
guilty of violating the rights of Muslim workers in its Colorado
operation. Cargill recently fired three union activists from its Dayton
facility. The firings are just the latest in the company’s push to keep
the Dayton plant union free. The company routinely intimidates staff to
prevent employees from becoming pro-union and has retained the services
of Peter List and Kulture Consulting—a notorious anti-union advisory
company.
The recent firings are not the first time that Cargill retaliated
against employees it deemed to be problematic. According to a local
television station, WHSV, Wilfredo Flores’ job was terminated for doing
nothing more than publicly describing conditions inside the processing
plant. After injuring his hand while at work, Flores was informed by
Cargill management that he was no longer employed. Flores now works with
United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 400 (UFCW), in its drive
to win a union contract at the plant.
Ernestina Castillo, one of the recently fired employees, worked at
Cargill for 14 years and injured her hand on the job (an all too common
occurrence for poultry workers). Management traditionally moves an
injured employee to another position on the line or provides training
for other tasks. However, Castillo was seen wearing a union shirt by
management and consequently lost her job. More and more workers are
wearing union shirts on the job to show their solidarity.
Dangerous working conditions and line speed-up (the act of increasing
the processing speed of plant machinery to increase company profits) are
two of the biggest complaints that workers have against Cargill. As a
result of Cargill’s practices, broken bones, carpal tunnel syndrome, and
other injuries occur. In addition, it is reported that Cargill often
denies workers’ compensation to injured staff. One trick used by Cargill
is to intimidate employees who speak only Spanish into signing a form
written in English. The form denies all culpability by Cargill.
Workers who are able to avoid physical injury are subject to job burnout
due to long working hours (not always compensated) and line speed-up.
Burnout results in frequent staff turnover. This turnover, not
coincidently, makes unionizing more difficult and further suppresses
already low wages.
Workers have reported that company management engages in dirty
practices, such as spreading petty personal rumors among employees in
order to divide workers and make unionizing difficult. Management also
routinely warns new workers to keep clear of pro-union workers.
At recent pro-worker rallies held outside the Dayton plant, Cargill
locked the building doors to block workers from joining the rally while
on their break. Of course, locked doors are a danger to all inside the
building should a fire or other emergency occur. Plant supervisors have
formed lines to watch and scare workers at the events, and as the
workers returned to work, the managers have removed from their hands the
union support cards given out by rally organizers.
Nevertheless, despite company intimidation, workers’ support for the
union continues. At the end of February, community activists, church
leaders, and the UFCW aided the recently fired workers and filed unfair
labor practice charges against Cargill with the National Labor Relations
Board. Results are pending.
You can follow the Cargill plant workers’ fight for a union by visiting
the following Facebook sites:
https://www.facebook.com/justiceforpoultryworkers/
https://www.facebook.com/shenandoahvalleyreds/
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
29Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)29
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
March 4, 2018 in Labor.
Related posts
Labor Briefing for March 2018: West Virginia teachers strike
River Rouge: 1941
Honeywell workers locked out
Post navigation
← Fast food workers strike in the South
Two police corruption convictions in Baltimore →
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month March 2018 (4) February 2018 (14)
January 2018 (13) December 2017 (13) November 2017 (13) October 2017
(16) September 2017 (15) August 2017 (16) July 2017 (17) June 2017
(16) May 2017 (17) April 2017 (14) March 2017 (13) February 2017
(19) January 2017 (13) December 2016 (12) November 2016 (19) October
2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (10) July 2016 (14) June
2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12) March 2016 (14) February
2016 (8) January 2016 (11) December 2015 (11) November 2015 (9)
October 2015 (8) September 2015 (10) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (13)
June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12) March 2015 (9) February
2015 (11) January 2015 (10) December 2014 (12) November 2014 (11)
October 2014 (9) September 2014 (6) August 2014 (10) July 2014 (11)
June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (9) February
2014 (11) January 2014 (11) December 2013 (10) November 2013 (11)
October 2013 (17) September 2013 (13) August 2013 (10) July 2013
(11) June 2013 (15) May 2013 (14) April 2013 (14) March 2013 (12)
February 2013 (10) January 2013 (17) December 2012 (7) November 2012
(8) October 2012 (19) September 2012 (2) August 2012 (27) July 2012
(18) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (19) April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17)
February 2012 (19) January 2012 (17) December 2011 (3) November 2011
(33) October 2011 (14) September 2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July
2011 (24) June 2011 (19) May 2011 (19) April 2011 (15) March 2011
(15) February 2011 (15) January 2011 (15) December 2010 (17) November
2010 (1) October 2010 (6) September 2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July
2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8)
February 2010 (3) January 2010 (9) December 2009 (6) November 2009
(5) October 2009 (16) September 2009 (3) August 2009 (2) July 2009
(5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April 2009 (6) March 2009 (16)
February 2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December 2008 (11) November 2008
(8) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14) August 2008 (18) July 2008
(12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April 2008 (3) March 2008 (14)
February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11) December 2007 (8) November 2007
(1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1)
February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11) November 2006 (11) October 2006
(13) September 2006 (15) August 2006 (11) July 2006 (18) June 2006
(7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March 2006 (14) February 2006 (5)
January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9) November 2005 (8) October 2005
(13) September 2005 (12) August 2005 (9) July 2005 (16) June 2005
(16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12) March 2005 (14) February 2005
(19) January 2005 (15) December 2004 (14) November 2002 (17) October
2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August 2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May
2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February 2002 (15) January 2002 (15)
December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24) September 2001 (18) July 2001
(19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17) September 2000 (21) August
2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26) May 2000 (21) April 2000
(22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18) January 2000 (20) December
1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999 (25) September 1999 (18)
August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999 (24) May 1999 (27) April
1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999 (29) January 1999 (24) July
1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections En Español Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights
International Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory
& History Middle East Police & FBI Prisons South Asia Trump / U.S.
Government Uncategorized Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
Follow