Union says Muslim workers had no advance warning of firings

By Joanne Kelley - Rocky Mountain News
Friday, September 12, 2008 - Web Link
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September 12, 2008

The union representing JBS Swift workers here said many of those involved in a prayer break dispute had no advance warning they would be fired if they failed to return to work this week.

In addition to filing grievances for each of the employees who want their jobs back, the United Food and Commercial Workers will also challenge the slaughterhouse giant for allegedly leaving the union out of initial negotiations over Ramadan-related rituals.

"The company went around the union a week ago and cut a side deal with some workers and then reneged," said Manny Gonzales, a spokesman for UFCW Local 7. "That was the cause of this whole mess."

The controversy marks the second year in a row the meatpacking company has clashed with employees over the timing of Ramadan-related rituals. A similar dispute erupted in 2007 at Swift's plant in Grand Island, Neb.

At the plant here, Muslim workers wanted to break their Ramadan fast at 7:30 p.m., which required moving their "lunch" break forward.

Swift officials offered to move the mid-shift respite to 8 p.m. from 9 p.m. But the compromise failed to satisfy many of the affected workers because their holy month obligations require them to break their Ramadan fast at sunset, which varies daily and falls earlier in the evening.

The company terminated more than 100 workers after they failed to report to the Greeley meatpacking facility for its second shift on Tuesday night. Even more workers had walked off the job last Friday, prompting the company to suspend them initially for violating their collective bargaining agreement.