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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For immediate
release
<br>
December 11, 2008<br>
Contact: Jim Papian, 202-255-3373, <a href="mailto:jpapian@ufcw.org">jpapian@ufcw.org</a>;
<a href="http://www.ufcw.org/">http://www.ufcw.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>WORKERS AT THE WORLD'S
LARGEST MEATPACKING PLANT CHOOSE UNION REPRESENTATION</span></strong><b><br>
</b><br>
Tar Heel, N.C. – Workers at Smithfield Packing in Tar Heel, North
Carolina, chose union representation with the United Food and Commercial
Workers International Union (UFCW). Workers voted 2041 to 1879 for a
voice on the job.<br>
<br>
"When workers have a fair process, they choose a voice on the job,"
said UFCW Director of Organizing Pat O'Neill. "This is a great victory for
the Tar Heel workers. I know they are looking forward to sitting down at the
bargaining table with Smithfield to negotiate a contract. The UFCW has
constructive union contracts with Smithfield plants around the country. Those
union contracts benefit workers, the company and the community. We believe the
workers here in Tar Heel can achieve a similar agreement."<br>
<br>
Ronnie Ann Simmons, a veteran of 13 years at the plant said, "We are
thrilled. This moment has been a long time coming. We stuck together, and now
we have a say on the job." <br>
<br>
Workers at 26 Smithfield-owned facilities around the country already have UFCW
representation. <br>
<br>
# # #<br>
<br>
The UFCW represents more than 1.3 million members in the U.S. and Canada,
including 250,000 workers in the poultry and meatpacking industries. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>
Western Mass Jobs with Justice<br>
640 Page Blvd #101<br>
Springfield MA 01104<br>
(413) 827-0301 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Founded in 1987, <a
href="http://www.jwj.org/">Jobs with Justice</a>'s mission is to improve
working people's standard of living, fight for job security, and protect
workers' right to organize. We believe workers' rights are human rights and to
be successful, we have to be part of a larger campaign for economic and social
justice. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To that end, "J with J" has
created a national coalition and a network of local coalitions that connect
labor, community, student, and faith-based organizations and activists on
workplace and community social justice campaigns. Western Mass JwJ
– founded June 5, 1993 – is now a coalition of almost 60
organizations. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>WMJwJ
publishes the following mobilization emails:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[Workers'
Rights] posts opportunities for you to learn about and show solidarity with
workplace and working class struggles. And these events are opportunities for
JwJ members to fulfill their pledge: <a href="http://www.jwj.org/pledge.html"><span
style='text-decoration:none'>"</span>I'll be there for workers' rights at
least five times a year!<span style='text-decoration:none'>"</span></a>
This is the core mission of Jobs with Justice (<a href="http://www.jwj.org/">www.jwj.org</a>),
affirming that workers' rights are human rights. To subscribe, send an email to
<a href="wmjwj@wmjwj.org">wmjwj@wmjwj.org</a> with a Subject of "Subscribe
Worker's Rights". <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[Health
Care Action] posts events and information that support the large and vibrant
Western Mass. movement for health care justice. Nationwide, Jobs with Justice (<a
href="http://www.jwj.org/">www.jwj.org</a>) has prioritized Health Care as a
basic human right. To subscribe, send an email to <a href="wmjwj@wmjwj.org">wmjwj@wmjwj.org</a>
with a Subject of "Subscribe Health Care Action".</span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[People's
History] posts events and other information </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>related to a people's history of Western
Mass. To subscribe, </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>send
an email to <a href="wmjwj@wmjwj.org">wmjwj@wmjwj.org</a> with a Subject of
"Subscribe People's History".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[Solidarity
Calendar] posts other events of interest to the Western Mass. coalition. </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To subscribe, </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>send an email to <a
href="wmjwj@wmjwj.org">wmjwj@wmjwj.org</a> with a Subject of "Subscribe
Solidarity Calendar".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Consolas'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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