Contact: Libby Manly, 919-491-2262, emanly@ufcw.org
Clergy, Civil Rights and Immigrant Rights Leaders Condemn Arrests and intimidation of workers.
WHAT: Press conference led by North Carolina clergy, civil rights and immigrant rights leaders, in front of Smithfield Packing, world's largest hog processing plant in Tar Heel, NC. Clergy demand moratorium on arrests at Smithfield and an end to the mistreatment of workers at the plant.
WHO: Clergy, immigrant rights advocates, civil rights groups, consumer advocates and workers.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 6th at 2:30 PM.
WHERE: In front of Smithfield Packing, 15855 NC Highway 87 W Tar Heel, NC
BACKGROUND: The approximately 5,500 workers at Smithfield's Tar Heel plant slaughter and process 32,000 hogs per day in a dangerous and brutal environment. Reported injuries have risen by over 200 percent since 2003. Workers face a company engaged in the systematic, sometimes violent, suppression of their democratic rights. The US Court of Appeals even determined that Smithfield used threats, intimidation and violence to punish workers for standing up to improve conditions on the job.
After Smithfield previously violated federal labor law by threatening workers with arrest by federal immigration authorities, Immigration Customs Enforcement agents detained and arrested 21 Smithfield workers on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
This came on the heels of a confrontation with workers over Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Approximately 4,000 workers signed a petition asking the company for an additional paid holiday to honor the slain civil rights leader. The company responded by threatening to punish those who chose to honor the federal holiday by attending local church services and memorials.
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union 1775 K St. N.W. Washington, DC. 20006
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