Tyson Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday

Tractors4u · Aug 5, 2008

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,397645,00.html

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — 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 5-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 — the same number as the old contract.
Eid al-Fitr — which falls on Oct. 1 this year — marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
Union leaders say implementing the holiday was important for the nearly 700 Muslims, many of them Somalis, who work at the plant that employs a total of 1,200 people.

So much for them adopting our culture and holidays. I am very disappointed in Tyson.

thcri · Aug 5, 2008

I don't mind giving a Muslim Holiday, but to take Labor Day away? That is crap. Another example of giving in. Won't be long and all of us will be wearing towels on our heads to accept them.

DaveNay · Aug 5, 2008

How many muslims work at the hog processing facility? :yum:

thcri · Aug 5, 2008

DaveNay said:
How many muslims work at the hog processing facility?

Ok so you made me laugh. But it is not funny. At the rate we are going we won't have hog processing plants. :bb:

Erik · Aug 5, 2008

thcri said:
Ok so you made me laugh. But it is not funny. At the rate we are going we won't have hog processing plants.

if we lose all our hog processing plants, what will politicians use to replace pork barrel politics? On topic - Tyson sucks. I knew that even before they bought out IBP in Emporia, laid a bunch of folks off, then this year announced they're closing the plant anyway...

rback33 · Aug 5, 2008

Erik said:
if we lose all our hog processing plants, what will politicians use to replace pork barrel politics? On topic - Tyson sucks. I knew that even before they bought out IBP in Emporia, laid a bunch of folks off, then this year announced they're closing the plant anyway...

See. This is where I have conflicts. I have a guy I went to high school with that works for Tyson. About 4 years ago he was in a wreck that left him a quadraplegic. They have bent over backwards to accommodate him. Granted... he is a "food engineer" of sorts, but they have done everything they can to make it easy for him to do his job.

mtwaterguy · Aug 5, 2008

rback33 said:
See. This is where I have conflicts. I have a guy I went to high school with that works for Tyson. About 4 years ago he was in a wreck that left him a quadraplegic. They have bent over backwards to accommodate him. Granted... he is a "food engineer" of sorts, but they have done everything they can to make it easy for him to do his job.

Probably doesn't have anything to do with loyalty to the employee. I'd bet it has to do with them comply with the disability act. They probably can't let him go, and have to make a job available to him.

rback33 · Aug 5, 2008

mtwaterguy said:
Probably doesn't have anything to do with loyalty to the employee. I'd bet it has to do with them comply with the disability act. They probably can't let him go, and have to make a job available to him.

This is true to some effect, but not entirely. He's actually a very important member of the company and very good at what he does. Anyone that eats Schwann's food... he probably "designed" it.

mtwaterguy · Aug 5, 2008

rback33 said:
This is true to some effect, but not entirely. He's actually a very important member of the company and very good at what he does. Anyone that eats Schwann's food... he probably "designed" it.

If so, then good for Tyson. Good employee's are their most important asset and something they should make every effort to keep.

rback33 · Aug 5, 2008

mtwaterguy said:
If so, then good for Tyson. Good employee's are their most important asset and something they should make every effort to keep.

Yup. It still does not excuse this other BS they have pulled. I will have to call him and verify this stuff.

DaveNay · Aug 5, 2008

I think it's important to note here that this is part of a union contract negotiation, and not a decision being imposed by Tyson on the workers. It also only affects the union members at the plant, and all other employees maintain the Labor Day holiday.

http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/20...shifts-holidays-trades-labor-day-for-ramadan/

rback33 · Aug 5, 2008

DaveNay said:
I think it's important to note here that this is part of a union contract negotiation, and not a decision being imposed by Tyson on the workers. It also only affects the union members at the plant, and all other employees maintain the Labor Day holiday.

http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/20...shifts-holidays-trades-labor-day-for-ramadan/

Good point Dave. I overlooked that. Wonder how many people will bail out of the Union because of it?

Doc · Aug 5, 2008

rback33 said:
Wonder how many people will bail out of the Union because of it?

Maybe that was part of Tyson's master plan after all. More than one way to break a union.

rback33 · Aug 5, 2008

Doc said:
Maybe that was part of Tyson's master plan after all. More than one way to break a union.

I have gotten into these debates before, but unions are something that I think have long outlived their usefulness. Said that to a US Airways flight attendant while on the beach last April... We agreed to disagree.

I would think that it would piss off a lot of the Non-Muslim employees. It might be a smart move in the long run.

American Woman · Aug 5, 2008

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Labor Day is a observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working man".

I was born and raised here and this holiday has been here all my life, but never "got it" No wonder I have never had a job in my adult life that honored it :doh:

All it amounts to is a glorified Sunday :huh:

Granted Labor Day is an American holiday tradition.
The Muslims want a very important religious holiday marked for their religion. Christmas and Easter are American Holidays. If a company gives a holiday for Muslims religious holiday then they will open up all kinds of discrimination suits by other religions. Now that's a can of worms in America.
I'm getting real tired of having whinny Muslims trying to make America all about them. They are NOT the only religion in America.

DaveNay · Aug 5, 2008

American Woman said:
The Muslims want a very important religious holiday marked for their religion. Christmas and Easter are American Holidays. If a company gives a holiday for Muslims religious holiday then they will open up all kinds of discrimination suits by other religions.

Wait....what?!

Christmas and Easter are about as religious as a holiday can get. They aren't American holidays, they are Christian holidays.

Memorial Day and Independence day are American holidays.

American Woman · Aug 5, 2008

DaveNay said:
Wait....what?!

Christmas and Easter are about as religious as a holiday can get. They aren't American holidays, they are Christian holidays.

Memorial Day and Independence day are American holidays.

The Muslims are in America. Their religion is not what America was built on. They are asking for their own religious holiday. I was already talking about a religious holiday topic. And Christmas and Easter are the American ones.
I know what your saying (my bad) I hate when People say "Happy Holidays"
That was not my intention.

waybomb · Aug 5, 2008

Doesn't it take two parties to sign a contract? I am NOT a union sympathizer, but Tyson is just as much at fault as the union.

Just like GM, Ford, Chrysler, and all the other companies that had leaders lacking teh long-term understanding of signing the contracts that are leading them down the road.

Tyson is 50% to blame here. Or More. They have the muscle to win any contract proposal put in front of them that could in any way harm their business in the future. They have way too much capacity. They could have stuck to their guns on this one point, and moved the jobs elsewhere.

thcri · Aug 5, 2008

waybomb said:
Doesn't it take two parties to sign a contract? I am NOT a union sympathizer, but Tyson is just as much at fault as the union.

Just like GM, Ford, Chrysler, and all the other companies that had leaders lacking teh long-term understanding of signing the contracts that are leading them down the road.

Tyson is 50% to blame here. Or More. They have the muscle to win any contract proposal put in front of them that could in any way harm their business in the future. They have way too much capacity. They could have stuck to their guns on this one point, and moved the jobs elsewhere.

No not always true. I have seen many times where the union walks in and throws the contract down and says sign, or we strike. A lot of GM's problems is the contracts they signed with the unions, times were good and instead of fighting it they just signed rather than risking a strike. Big thing is the pensions they approved.

waybomb · Aug 5, 2008

Yes, I agree. Had the leadership of the company exhibited any sense of duty to the shareholders, they would have said "Go ahead and strike. Let's see who it costs more to in a few years."

Tyson Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday

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