Smithfield Workers Vote on Union Contract
Tuesday, June 30 2009
by Leoneda Inge
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A historic vote is taking place at the Smithfield Packing plant in Tar Heel this week for the company's five thousand workers. The company and union organizers agree it will easily take two days for all workers to get the chance to vote on their first contract.
Jill Cashen is a spokeswoman with the United Food and Commercial Workers union. "We're really proud of the workers who have stood together for so many years," Cashen says. "Some folks may have just started yesterday; others have been there since 1994. You know, it's a proud moment."
The UFCW has been trying to unionize the world's largest hog processing plant since it opened. Workers have long complained about working conditions at the plant. Several lawsuits and rounds with the National Labor Relations Board ultimately resulted in workers voting to unionize last December.
