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Vol. 81/No. 18 May 8, 2017
—ON THE PICKET LINE—
Guillermo Zalaya
Workers at Cargill turkey processing plant in Dayton, Virginia, wear
yellow T-shirts each Friday to back union. At right is José M. Pérez,
who wrote article on union drive for Militant.
Workers at Cargill turkey plant in Virginia fight
for union
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Workers in Cargill’s turkey processing plant have no
say over the conditions of work in our plant in Dayton. There are more
than 1,200 employees between the two shifts, including Africans, Arabs,
Hispanics, Asians, Russians and workers born in the U.S. It’s the
largest plant in this part of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, a center for
the poultry industry, putting out 7.4 million pounds of product weekly.
Many workers are injured. The company commits many injustices against
the workers. There is no seniority, so certain pro-company employees are
treated as favorites. Unfortunately, the Hispanic supervisors are the
most abusive.
Workers have become conscious and want to fight together to organize in
a union and make change. This is the only hope for putting a stop to
these modern-day pharaohs.
We are wearing the yellow union T-shirts from United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 400 on Fridays, and if there is no work Friday we wear
them Thursday. When we started in February, there were five of us. Now
more than 100 every Friday wear the shirt. I call it “Yellow Fever.”
— José M. Pérez, a member of the union-organizing drive at Cargill
Workers at N.Y. Momentive plant rally for fired unionists
MECHANICVILLE, New York — Some 50 Momentive workers, their families and
supporters attended a fundraiser here April 15 to defend the 26 workers
fired by Momentive Performance Materials bosses while on strike over the
past winter. The 105-day walkout of some 700 unionists won widespread
support from workers and unions across the region.
“Eleven of the 26 were fired on the picket line for supposed misconduct
and 15 were accused of sabotage,” Frank Izzo, a worker at the plant,
told the Militant. “The company is treating them as guilty until proven
innocent.”
Workers are wearing and displaying T-shirts, stickers, arm bands,
posters and other items featuring the number 26, and the company is
attempting to ban their display in the plant.
“The company policy is a violation of our right to union activity. We
are defending those who have exercised their union rights,” said Shawn
Mastropietro, chief shop steward in the plant. “Workers are still
wearing the number into work, but the company is prohibiting it in the
work area, claiming it creates a hostile environment.”
“The company is trying to do everything possible to keep these workers
from their jobs,” said Dominick Patrignani, president of IUE-CWA Local
81359, which represents the majority of the strikers.
The New York State Council of Churches is giving its annual social
justice award to the union workers. “We believe the Momentive workers
show the highest ideals of the union movement,” Rev. Peter Cook,
executive director of the council, told the Albany Times Union. “Their
efforts to keep sticking up for the 26 workers left behind is a welcome
altruistic gesture in the ‘me first’ political environment in which we
dwell.”
Les Wheeler, who has worked at Momentive for 28 years, told the Militant
that the company created the conditions that led to the strike in the
first place. “They did not bargain in good faith,” he said. “They wanted
to break the union at all costs,” but they were not able to do so.
Another event to support the fired workers is scheduled for April 30 at
Chrome Food and Spirits in Waterford from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Donations
can be sent to Save The 26 IUE-CWA 81359, P.O. Box 339, Waterford, NY
12188.
— Jacob Perasso
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