From Justice @ Smithfield

Union Talks With Smithfield Officials

The Justice@Smithfield Campaign in support of the workers at Smithfield Foods' Tar Heel plant has already seen remarkable results. The company's pork products have been pulled from shelves of many supermarkets, presidential candidates have made the workers' plight an issue on the campaign trail, national churches and cities have passed support resolutions, and a major network of faith, civil rights, and labor organizations has been formed to speak out on behalf of justice at Smithfield. Those of you who were able to join us last month at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia, witnessed the power of this network when it joins with workers from the plant.

The company has taken notice. In the run-up to the shareholders meeting, company and union officials made contact and talks are now underway. While we are still in the early stages of negotiations, we know that we could not have made it this far without your support. The union is calling on the company to remain completely neutral and allow the workers to make their own choice, without any interference, in an independently run, non-NLRB process.

We have entered into these talks in good faith, and will continue to work with Smithfield to reach a fair agreement for the workers, but we also go in with a consciousness of the company's history. In past elections, workers have been threatened, called racial epithets, fired and even assaulted for their support of the union. So while we are hopeful that we can reach an agreement, we are determined that only a clearly defined process that fully protects the workers right to choose a union is acceptable.

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to keep you updated on this process. No matter which direction these negotiations take, your help and support is as crucial now as it has been in the past. We ask you to remain on alert in the event that Smithfield is unwilling to agree to a free and fair process. The campaign will not end until workers in Tar Heel have a union and a union contract. We are proud to stand alongside you in support of Justice at Smithfield, and we look forward to working with you during this new phase of the struggle.

Sincerely,

The Justice@Smithfield Team