[Antiracism] [Workers Rights] [Workers Rights] BIG Y REFUSES TO MEET

[WMass Jobs With Justice]

Dear Activists,

In light of Big Y's "silent treatment" (see below), please join the virtual
petition during September 7 through 10, by asking Big Y for a meeting in any
of the following ways:

Real mail: PO Box 7840, Springfield, MA 01102. 
        Telephone: (413) 784-0600 or (800) 828-2688. 
                Fax: (413) 732-8475. 
                        Email: HYPERLINK
"mailto:broderic at bigy.com"mailto:broderic at bigy.com. 
                                Web form: HYPERLINK
"https://www.bigy.com/contact/index.php"https://www.bigy.com/contact/index.p
hp.

And spread the word!  Right now the demand is for a meeting, but we will
continue to monitor whether Big Y goes the way of Stop & Shop, quietly
removing the Tar Heel pork without admitting to.  Smithfield's CEO has
publicly stated that the nationwide consumer campaign is hurting the
company.

Please save Thursday, October 4, probably around 4pm, for a kind of meeting
at Big Y hq, 2145 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield.  More like a rally.

And you are invited to the next Justice @ Smithfield organizing meeting,
Wednesday, September 12, 7-8:30pm at the Labor Council, 640 Page Blvd,
Springfield. 

In solidarity,

Jon

---------------------

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jon Weissman, (413) 827-0301

BIG Y REFUSES TO MEET WITH WORKER JUSTICE DELEGATION

The heads of Big Y Foods have given the cold shoulder to a local committee
supporting workers’ rights at the world’s largest hog slaughterhouse, the
Smithfield Foods plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina.

On August 16 and again on September 4, the Justice at Smithfield Committee
of Western Mass. Jobs with Justice hand-delivered letters (copies available
upon request) to Big Y’s top executives, Chairman/CEO Donald H. D’Amour and
President/COO Charles L. D’Amour.  The group requests that the D’Amours or
their representative meet with a delegation of religious, political,
community, student, and labor leaders regarding the violent conditions under
which Smithfield pork is produced in Tar Heel.  Details about those
conditions and the workers’ struggles to correct them can be viewed at
HYPERLINK "http://www.smithfieldjustice.com/"www.smithfieldjustice.com. 

The delegation intended to ask Big Y to do three things:

1.      Remove Tar Heel pork [USDA Establishment Codes 18079 and 79C] from
Big Y shelves.  At recent store visits, the committee only found 79C bacon. 
2.      Tell Smithfield to obey the law by contacting Joseph Luter III, CEO,
Smithfield Foods, 200 Commerce St, Smithfield VA 23430; (888) 366-6767;
HYPERLINK
"mailto:information at smithfieldfoods.com"information at smithfieldfoods.com.
3.      Encourage other local food markets to take these steps.

Despite many assurances over the phone by their secretary, Denise Broderick,
that “they’ll get back to you,” the D’Amours have seen fit to ignore this
community group. 

In response, the group may call for a meeting at Big Y headquarters anyway,
or at least on the public land in front of it, on October 4.  But before
doing so, it asks people who support this simple request for a meeting to
say so to Big Y during September 7 through 10, in any of the following ways:

Real mail: PO Box 7840, Springfield, MA  01102. 
Telephone: (413) 784-0600 or (800) 828-2688. 
Fax: (413) 732-8475. 
Email: broderic at bigy.com. 
Web form: HYPERLINK
"https://www.bigy.com/contact/index.php"https://www.bigy.com/contact/index.p
hp.

-30-


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