Never buying TYSON chicken again!

[NinjaNick]

I will not help a company spitting at my country!

August 6, 2008

Muslim Holiday at Tyson Plant Creates Furor

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

The union that represents workers at a Tyson Foods poultry plant in Tennessee has negotiated a contract that substitutes a Muslim holiday for Labor Day as one of the eight paid holidays at the plant.

The provision, which was proposed by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, has delighted the plant’s Somali workers, who account for hundreds of its 1,200 employees. But it has infuriated many outsiders, leading some to denounce Tyson and the union alike.

“You are a union that is proud of achieving a Muslim holiday and prayer room?” one person wrote the union. “A union in the U.S.A., a country based on Christianity. You call yourselves Americans? Have you forgotten 9/11?”

Another wrote: “You had no right to drop Labor Day. Muslim employees must integrate Labor Day into THEIR lives if they are going to live in America.”

Stung by the criticism, Stuart Appelbaum, the union’s president, said the decision was fully consistent with the spirit of Labor Day.

“We in the labor movement have always understood that unions are only strong when we work to protect the dignity of all faiths, and that includes Muslims,” said Mr. Appelbaum, who also serves as president of the Jewish Labor Committee.

“What we negotiated was the will of the workers,” said Mr. Appelbaum, who added that his was the first union to negotiate a paid day off for a Muslim holiday and that he was sure Tyson would not be the last employer to agree.

The plant affected is in the town of Shelbyville, some 40 miles south of Nashville. Under a five-year contract there, Id al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, is now one of the plant’s eight paid holidays.

Union officials said the two Somali immigrants on the union’s eight-member bargaining committee had been eager to make Id al-Fitr (pronounced eed-al-FIT-tr) a paid holiday. The union agreed to do so at the expense of Labor Day in part because it did not want to trade Christmas, the Fourth of July, Memorial Day or other existing paid holidays, and in part because Tyson has usually required the plant’s employees to work on Labor Day anyway. (Employees received a holiday premium for working that day.)

“We had worked 23 Labor Days in a row; it wasn’t like it was a day to spend with our family,” said Randy Hadley, a union representative who helped negotiate the contract.

Mr. Hadley said both management and union were surprised when nearly all the Somali workers — Tyson puts their number at 250, the union at nearly 400 — did not work on Id al-Fitr last year. They were not paid, but the plant almost had to close that day, said Mr. Hadley, adding that management was “elated” by the proposal to make Id al-Fitr a holiday.

The contract was negotiated last year and approved by workers in November. But the holiday provision largely escaped public notice until a local newspaper published an article about it last week. Many anti-immigrant bloggers and conservative commentators have since berated Tyson, urging a boycott.

Thrown on the defensive, the company issued a statement Monday saying: “Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day is still a holiday at Tyson Foods. The issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville.”

“This is not a religious accommodation,” the statement added. “Rather, it is a union-initiated contract demand.”

Libby Lawson, a Tyson spokeswoman, noted that the plant had three Christian chaplains, and prayer rooms for Muslims and Christians alike.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us/06muslim.html?ref=business

[12oclocker]

This is f'king america, I am SO sick of everyone pushing muslim culture on us! IF THEY LIVE HERE! They Need to Embrace American Culture! Or Go Home! Americans Dont Impose their belifes on other countries, this whole thing makes me sick. Do what you want at home, but damn it, stop trying to change our damn holidays! you have your own country with your own holidays, thats not what this country was founded on!

[2insanezx10r]

Hey Nick you wanna come over this weekend I'm having fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob????

[fusion]

I'm going to make it point to buy only Tyson's chicken. Good for them.

[NinjaNick]

Yeah, you're just kidding fusion. Right? I would hope so.

I just found out about it tonight. Kodak employees are bitching about it around here. It's rediculous. My boss was really pissed off.

[NinjaNick]

Hey Nick you wanna come over this weekend I'm having fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob????

Hell yeah if I can! I'll ask the misses.

Ironic too because we bought a 10piece meal from Lee's today.

[fusion]

Yeah, you're just kidding fusion.

No I'm not. This is one of the things that makes America great. They have a plant that has a large number of Somali workers that are also a majority Muslim. They had a process in place that allowed that plant to switch holidays in order to accommodate their holiday during which they were already largely absent. The holiday they switched it with was one that it seems a lot of workers worked anyway. It ends up a win-win.

[f4isvt]

I think it is respectful they honor the muslism holiday just not in substitute for labor day. They should honor both.

[NinjaNick]

Who gives a fuck! It has nothing to do with our nation. And NO it isn't what is great about America Fusion. What is wrong with you man?

[fusion]

I didn't realize a single Tyson's chicken plant was our nation. You mad because they switched a paid holiday (Labor Day) at a single plant for this or because they are Muslims?

[Disclaimer]

...Americans Dont Impose their belifes on other countries...

Not to be an ass or the hijack the thread, but you did notice there's a war going on, right? A war we started pre-emptively because our beliefs didn't coincide with their ex-leaders... 'Christians' are just as bad at forcing their beliefs and customs on other religions as other religions fight to have their beliefs be recognized by a predominantly Christian country.

And, while I'm indifferent to where and who I purchase my chicken from - I'm not going to make a point to purchase Tyson), I think I agree with Fusion's line of thought. Although, I don't want to promote any religion over another - regardless of the religious affiliation of the employees - I don't know why they just don't give every employee a set number of 'Floating Holidays' that they can take as they see fit. Or, just tack on extra weeks of vacation for people to use as they see fit and offer NO holiday's off. Then no matter what deity you beleive in... you make your own choice to honor or not honor a religious holiday or any other holiday. If you don't believe in Memorial Day, or Independence Day, you should have the right to choose to take the day off and honor those holidays, or not.

Trust me, the people that need to conform, will conform just because they'll end up being socially ostrasized if they don't do as everyone else does.

[NinjaNick]

I didn't realize a single Tyson's chicken plant was our nation. You mad because they switched a paid holiday (Labor Day) at a single plant for this or because they are Muslims?

Yep, it's "IN" our nation. This is the only forum that has softies and people who support catering to other people who believe in a different nation/countries beliefs more than this one. I've posted this on other forums and this is the only one with supporters, and they're bike forums too. We will self destruct this nation in time because we keep going further and further down hill from what we were built up from. It won't exist, but be a land overtaken by foreigners who LIKE the USA, but don't SUPPORT the USA. They want to bring THEIR nations practices here. If they love their old country so much then don't fucking leave it! The time will come, maybe not in my lifetime, or maybe in the next 50 years, but we will fall. It's a shame. Maybe there should be a war started on this land between the people? Just a thought. It may be that time. A civil war, but this one be to bring this nations morals back to what it should be.

[fusion]

Yep, it's "IN" our nation. This is the only forum that has softies and people who support catering to other people who believe in a different nation/countries beliefs more than this one. I've posted this on other forums and this is the only one with supporters, and they're bike forums too. We will self destruct this nation in time because we keep going further and further down hill from what we were built up from. It won't exist, but be a land overtaken by foreigners and we will fall. It's a shame. Maybe there should be a war started on this land between the people? Just a thought. It may be that time. A civil war, but this one be to bring this nations morals back to what it should be.

Sorry I forgot you were a native. Love the casino's btw.

[12oclocker]

A war we started pre-emptively because our beliefs didn't coincide with their ex-leaders...

I thought we went to war to get osama bin ladin? and/or kill terrorist? because of 9/11? or maybe to steal some oil? but because our beliefs didn't coincide with their ex-leaders, I haven't hear that one

And pre-emptively?? I disagree. 9/11 was when we went to war, because they killed a bunch of innocent women, and children, and daddys, on some airplanes, right?

'Christians' are just as bad at forcing their beliefs and customs on other religions

I've never seen a christan person saw a persons head off and record it, then send the video back to america.

Radical islamist have done that, christans have never done that. so yeah, they are worse.

osama and his crazy people have said, that we must convert to islam, or they will kill us all, christans dont kill people for not converting to their religon.

[NinjaNick]

Sorry I forgot you were a native. Love the casino's btw.

I was born and raised here and I also don't celebrate any belief outside the USA.

I revised my post a little too.

[jagr]

:popcorn:This is better than batman. Please continue...

[NinjaNick]

The casino bit got me laughing I admit.

[The King]

I was born and raised here and I also don't celebrate any belief outside the USA.

Have you read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

American citizens can be Muslim.....what gives you the right to decide who is and isn't an American citizen?

The First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

[John]

“A union in the U.S.A., a country based on Christianity. You call yourselves Americans?

false.

This is f'king america, I am SO sick of everyone pushing muslim culture on us! IF THEY LIVE HERE! They Need to Embrace American Culture! Or Go Home!

both can harmoniously coexist.

Americans Dont Impose their belifes on other countries

you have GOT to be fucking kidding me.

[NinjaNick]

And, while I'm indifferent to where and who I purchase my chicken from - I'm not going to make a point to purchase Tyson), I think I agree with Fusion's line of thought. Although, I don't want to promote any religion over another - regardless of the religious affiliation of the employees - I don't know why they just don't give every employee a set number of 'Floating Holidays' that they can take as they see fit. Or, just tack on extra weeks of vacation for people to use as they see fit and offer NO holiday's off. Then no matter what deity you beleive in... you make your own choice to honor or not honor a religious holiday or any other holiday. If you don't believe in Memorial Day, or Independence Day, you should have the right to choose to take the day off and honor those holidays, or not.

I agree a little, not totally, but a little. I don't think you should get rid of an AMERICAN holiday to replace it for a foreign one.

[SWing'R]

...We will self destruct this nation in time because we keep going further and further down hill from what we were built up from. It won't exist, but be a land overtaken by foreigners who LIKE the USA, but don't SUPPORT the USA. They want to bring THEIR nations practices here. If they love their old country so much then don't fucking leave it!..

What you seem to be forgetting Nick, or ignoring is that this country was founded by foreigners. The foreigners that founded this country took it from the Native Americans. So unless your last name is Running Water or Soaring Eagle then YOU are of FOREIGN descent yourself and if it not for YOUR ancestors leaving the "old country" you would not be here today practicing your right to free speech. You are entilted to your opinions, but don't expect everyone to agree with them, then get mad because they don't.

[fusion]

I was born and raised here and I also don't celebrate any belief outside the USA.

I revised my post a little too.

A lot of Muslims were born here. I'm not sure what, "...I also don't celebrate any belief outside the USA" is supposed to mean. I'm thinking you are operating off a false premise.

[Disclaimer]

No, the official reason we went to war with Iraq is to find WMD's. Even if it was to hunt Osama down - tell me how long Osama was in Iraqi? From the history I've read on the whole situation, the US placed Saddam in power and gave him weapons to overthrow the Iranian gov't (we needed a monkey on a leash in that region to keep an eye on Ayatollah Komeini (sp?)) and when Saddam quit being our patsy - since he no longer believed in the "Western" directives - that's when the bad blood started.

I think you were closer with the "steal some oil" comment, I'd be less agitated if this were the real (and admitted) reason, but we're not even doing a good job at that. http://www.ohio-riders.net/showthread.php?t=16548

And @ Nick - what morals and values are being denigrated exactly? I mean, we were a 'mutt' nation to begin with - an amalgumation of lots of different ethnicities and religions. The only difference is it's not the white catholic or protestant immigrants (Irish, Polish, German, British, Italian) like in the 1900's - now, it's the hispanics and the muslims. Same idea, different time. What identity are we losing?

I LOL'd at the casino comment.

[12oclocker]

ok ok, "I" dont impose my beliefs on other countries! I cant speak for the rest of the country I guess

[12oclocker]

We can't just let crazy people fly planes into our buildings, organize bombings, and other crazy stuff, we got to exterminate those terrorist.

But, I do think we are sucking at whatever it is were supposed to be doing over there, long dragged out mess!