WORLD &,
Battle for workers' rights in Tar Heel
7
By Paddy Lehane
StaffWriter
Paul Bruce got some of the worst news a
human being can get recently. He was diag
nosed with cancer. Things would get much
worse for him, however.
He'd been working at Smithfield Food's
pork processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C. for
two years. He took time off from work to re
cover from painful chemotherapy. Little did
he know, he would soon be fired.
"I worked at Smithfield for two years,
but then they fired me 'cause I got sick," said
Bruce in a statement released by smithfield-
justice.org. "While I was in the hospital, they
fired me for missing work and cut off my in
surance. We lost everything: our home, our
savings, even our car insurance."
Paul Bruce's story is one of many stories
of unfair practices that come out of the Tar
Heel plant.
The plant is the largest hog processing
plant in the world. Each day, 32,000 hogs are
killed, and 5,500 people work non-stop cut
ting meat.
The United Food and Commercial Work
ers (UFCW) union, which represents meat-
packers, has been trying to organize the
workers there for years. The union's efforts
have been fought brutally by the company.
The UFCW dtes a plethora of reasons for
the need for a union. Workers are routinely
injured, fired, and denied workers compen
sation at the plant, according to the UFCW.
There are stories of workers whose re
petitive-stress injuries were misdiagnosed or
ignored by the company doctor. Some were
told that ^eir injuries weren't work related,
therefore making them ineligible for work
er's compensation.
The treatment of workers is one of the big
gest issues surrounding the union drive, but
the struggles for a fair and balanced election
process have marred progress.
Union elections were last held in 1997 by
way of secret ballot. During these elections,
Smithfield was accused of using physical
violence, illegal surveillance, and increased
racial tensions in the plant to ensure a union
loss.
Smithfield was later found guilty of these
charges, and the 1997 election was consid
ered invalid due to the biased and dangerous
climate created by the company. Since the
court ruling, Smithfield has been even more
adamant about halting union activities.
The UFCW argues that workers are con
tinually being intimidated, which is creating
an impossible climate for fair elections. The
UFCW wants the unionization of the plant to
be decided by check-card voting.
Check-card voting is essentially signing
union cards, as opposed to holding secret-
ballot election. If a majority of workers sign
cards, the plant becomes unionized. This
method is highly controversial.
Smithfield argues that through sign
ing union cards, the union is able to coerce
employees to sign through peer pressure.
Smithfield advocates the use of secret-ballot
elections because they claim it gives all work
ers a voice.
The UFCW duly notes that secret ballot
elections have repeatedly been compromised
by the company's illegal actions.
A few weeks ago, the ongoing feud be
tween the two groups took a nasty turn.
Smithfield filed a suit against the UFCW
under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations (RICO) statue.
The RICO statue was created to and cred
ited with destroying the Mafia and other or
ganized crime groups.
"The company action constitutes hypoc
risy of the highest order, seeking to hide be
hind a frivolous lawsuit," the union said in a
press release.
Smithfield has recently angered its em
ployees even more. Smithfield has been found
guilty of threatening their Latino workforce
with calls to immigration authorities.
Recently immigration authorities raid
ed the plant and arrested 25 workers. This
prompted a walkout that slowed produc
tion, while showing solidarity amongst the
workers.
The fight between the company and the
union is dearly far from over and a finalized
outcome is far out of reach.
WORDANDWORLD.COM
UFCW organized many "Justice @ Smithfield" protests in North Carolina, bringing together many
civil rights groups to advocate for safe work environments and better job security. Here, UFCW
protests in front of Harris Teeter in Charlotte.
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
DALAI LAMA
Continued from page I %
and the leader of the Tibetan Government in
exile, Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso currently
lives in India along with an estimated 100^000
Tibetans exiled from their homeland. The
Dalai Lama had ruled Tibet since the 17th
century until the 1959 communist takeover.
But Dalai Lama Gyatso has recently shift
ed policy to negotiate for the same Idnd of
independent autonomy from the PRC that
Hong Kong currently enjoys rather than in
dependence.
"Beijing continues to allege that my hid
den agenda is a separation and restoration
(of) Tibet's old social political system," said
the Dalai Lama in his acceptance speech to
CNN News.
"Such a notion is unfounded and untrue.
Much of the world is waiting to see how
China's concepts of harmonious society and
peaceful rights would unfold."
According to Associate Professor of Po
litical Science George Guo, possible U.S. in
fluence has hampered negotiations for the
PRC.
The PRC is currently trying to balance
"One China" and "Open China" ideologies
with regional disputes and explosive eco
nomic growth.
"With an ideological gap following the
fall of communism, China is still vulnerable
to the influence of a powerful belief," Guo
said.
"They aren't sure the Dalai Lama won't
change things, and they're concerned about
foreign influence."
President Bush's words at the ceremony
did little to ease Chinese ire, as he continual
ly stressed the importance of independence
and religious rights.
"Americans cannot look to the plight of
the religiously oppressed and close our eyes
or turn away," Bush said.
The Foreign Ministry has threatened that
the issue could impact Chinese trade policy,
and have summoned American ambassador
Clark T. Randt to negotiate.
Canada faced similar outrage from the
PRC when it made the Dalai Lama an honor
ary citizen.
First given to George Washington in 1776
by the Continental Congress, the Congressio
nal Gold Medal is the Hghest civilian award
in the United States.
Each medal is intended for display rather
than wear, and is struck by the U.S. mint
with a unique design specific to the recipi
ent's merits.
The Dalai Lama joins the ranks of Na
thaniel Green, Mother Teresa, and Charles
Shultz.
Photos courtesy ofmedia.therecord.com
Despite the Dalai Lama's attempts to negotiate the independent autonomy ofTibet, China continues
to maintain their anti-Tibet stance, even in the face of growing international support for a more free
Tibet.