Meat companies closing for immigration boycott

[gatorboy]

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3768978

ENVER - Some of the nation's largest meatpacking companies are planning to pare production or shut down entire plants Monday in part to accommodate workers' requests for time off to participate in pro-immigration reform rallies and demonstrations, company officials said.
   
Greeley, Colo.-based Swift & Co. will shut down four of its five beef processing plants - including the one in Hyrum, Utah - and two of its three pork processing plants, spokesman Sean McHugh said in a statement Friday.
   
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Ark., will close about a dozen beef and pork plants, the company said in a statement.

<snip>

Decisions to shut down meatpacking plants or shift production were made based on expected shortages of workers and other business conditions, company officials said.

[napi21]

1. Yea, but let me remind you of a worse problem with them!

When they reported the other day that Tyson, Cargill & Perdue were all closing for the day becasue they wouldn't have enough workers to run the operation, they also reported this!!!!

In 1980, the average wage at a meat packing plant was $19.00/hr. Today it's $9.00!

Now folks, tell me AGAIN how great immigrants and illegals are for the US middle class worker?????

[gatorboy]

2. You don't have to remind me...

I had several family members that worked at these plants in the late 80's early 90's. They were good paying jobs for individuals that couldn't afford a higher education or lived in an area that didn't provide much work. It's funny that these are the jobs "Americans won't work", all of a sudden...I remember quite a few Americans working them not too long ago. Boycott the pricks.

[napi21]

5. It's almost impossible to boycott them!

I bought a bag of Golden(something) chicken leg qtrs at Krogers about 6 weeks ago. When I cut them apart to freeze them, I noticed that almost half of them were cut wrong! Most of them are cut by an auto machine, and somebody had obviously set it up wrong! Well, I've gotten to be a real b*tch in my old age, and I sent Krogers an email to complain.

Magically, in about 10 days, I got this check in the mail...FROM TYSON, for $10.00, and an appology for their product being unsatisfactory. I had NO IDEA they were processed by Tyson! Unless you are in a position to raise your own, or become a vegan, you really can't boycott the processors. There aren't very many of them, and they all pack under several different names, so you're trapped.

[gatorboy]

9. That's true. But I'm planning on going the local route.

We have a local butcher that I've been meaning to use anyway because of the chemcals and drugs the larger companies pump into their livestock. Today's story decided it for me. Same goes with the produce.

[TahitiNut]

3. It seems to me that the INS/ICE should investigate those closing.

It seems abundantly clear that they're overrun with undocumented workers and infested with substandard labor practices. These agribusinesses have operated outside the law for too damned long.

[dflprincess]

8. Several plants in Minnesota are also shutting down

and I had the same thought you did about the employers. They seem to be admitting they know their workers are undocumented - and that nothing will happen to the company for this. Proving that the government has no intention of getting serious about illegal immigration. There will be a few raids and a few people will be deported but until the law makes it a felony to hire undocumented workers and a few CEOs go to prison, nothing will change.

[gatorboy]

10. You can't get anymore obvious.

On CNN they were talking about the hundreds of businesses that shut down. I think it's pretty clear now who needs to be investigated...

[CottonBear]

4. The major poultry plants are shutting down too (Tyson and Perdue.)

Perhaps, INS should enforce the law and fine or arrest the executives who hired the illegals.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. When Bill Clinton was in office

Tyson was busted for employing illegals in NW Arkansas. Some lower level management were disciplined and the company paid a big fine. People watched things carefully-until Bush got into office, that is.

[CottonBear]

7. *sigh* n/t

[gatorboy]

11. If this doesn't wake anyone up, nothing will.

It seems that a bulk of the posts here seem to believe that illegals are only taking the lowest of the low jobs, which in itself, seems a bit racist. As if illegals can only push a broom or pick a plant. But entire factories were shut down today. And that's not because they let that one illegal off that pushes the broom. Entire assembly lines of workers were not at work. Enire. Factories. Shut. Down.