# Tyson Plant Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday



## ToughOmbre (Aug 5, 2008)

Is it me, or have we bent over backwards to accomodate Muslims?  

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — *Workers at a Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Tennessee have opted to trade a paid Labor Day holiday for the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr.*

A recent 5-year contract approved by members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union at the Shelbyville, Tenn., plant includes the change to accommodate Muslim workers.

"The negotiating committee made the holiday a top priority in contract talks," the union's Alabama and Mid-South Council Representative Randy Hadley said in a June statement. "And we were able to get management to commit to it."

The change, which does not affect the company's 118 other plants, exchanges Labor Day for the Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. *The new contract, negotiated last fall, also gives Muslim workers a prayer room.*

"Eid al-Fitr is one of eight paid holidays for all Team Members covered by the contract, while Labor Day is not a paid holiday," Gary Mickelson, Tyson's media relations director, told the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.

The seven additional paid holidays are the employee's birthday, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Mickelson said.

Poultry Protest Tyson officials said that approximately 250 of the plant's 1,200employees are Muslim Somalis. Many, the union said, entered the United States as political refugees — among them, Abdillahi Jama.

“This new contract is good because it allows me to work on the second shift and still pray when I need to,” Jama said in a press release. “It’s very important to us, and the Eid is one of our most sacred holidays. It shows how the union helps us.”

News of the change has prompted some anger on local Web message boards, with some writings urging readers to contact the AFL-CIO and boycott Tyson products.

The union's national president, Stuart Appelbaum, said it was the union's job "to stand up to win respect for every worker's right to practice their faith."

Tyson officials said the contract was agreed to by 80 percent of the union's 1,000 members at the plant.

TO


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## Thorlifter (Aug 5, 2008)

WTF???????


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## Bucksnort101 (Aug 5, 2008)

250 Muslim employees trump the other 950. Noting like minority rules. If I worked in that plant I would be taking Labor day off anyway in protest, paid or not!!!!
Get used to it, there is more to come.


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## Lucky13 (Aug 5, 2008)

Political correctness in play here?


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## ToughOmbre (Aug 5, 2008)

Bucksnort101 said:


> Get used to it, there is more to come.



Unfortunately Buck, you're right.



Thorlifter said:


> WTF???????



My sentiments exactly Thor.



Lucky13 said:


> Political correctness in play here?



Yes Lucky, and it needs to stop! 

How does the rank and file of the union ever approve crap like that?

TO


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## Thorlifter (Aug 5, 2008)

ToughOmbre said:


> How does the rank and file of the union ever approve crap like that?TO



No kidding!!!!


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## ccheese (Aug 5, 2008)

But, on the other hand, it's unconstitutional to have prayer in schools.

Just remember.... as long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools !

Charles


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2008)

Prayer in public schools has nothing to do with private business establishments.

Why cant this be handled like they do in other countries with muslim/christian religions?

The christians take off their religious holidays with the muslims working as usual.
The muslims take off their religious holidays with the christians working as usual.

Labor day should be a holiday for EVERYONE!

The jews cant be allowed to take off any days, because theyre all in management (hehehehehe).


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## Bucksnort101 (Aug 5, 2008)

I was thinking the exact same thing as Sys. Makes perfect sence. No reason they cannot do this in my opinion. Looks like I won't be eating a Tyson Turkey on Thanksgiving this year!


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## JugBR (Aug 5, 2008)

isnt the labour day a comunist celebration ?


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## ToughOmbre (Aug 5, 2008)

JugBR said:


> isnt the labour day a comunist celebration ?



Communist celebration? Don't think so.  

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working man".

Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

TO


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 5, 2008)

I do not agree with this.

1. Labor Day should be a holliday for everyone. Who cares what religion you are. 

2. Why do they deserve a prayer room. I am all for freedom of religion and I have no problem with them practicing their religion, but do they deserve a prayer room. I'll bet you the Christians do not have a prayer room. What about the Jews that work for the company? Are they lesser than the muslims.

**** this!


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## Matt308 (Aug 5, 2008)

Foot washing receptacles, drivers license pictures of a hooded ...thing, multiple prayer breaks, ugh. But the big question is how did this ever pass the union. Your union at work.


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## RabidAlien (Aug 5, 2008)

"The negotiating committee made the holiday a top priority in contract talks," the union's Alabama and Mid-South Council Representative Randy Hadley said in a June statement. "And we were able to get management to commit to it."

Bull. This thing was buried so far under alternate-subordinate-clause-sub-paragraph-infinity that nobody noticed it until it was too late. This is just another form of terrorism....slow and methodical, without the dramatics of explosions and martyrs. Blow stuff up over there, to get everyone watching, while you slowly whittle away at the beams and pilings to undermine the support infrastructure. A bomb kills a few people. This way enslaves everyone. Sure, we respect your religion. But you have to respect ours too. This is the US. If you don't like us not bowing to your wishes, go back to your sand and camels. You have the freedom to do that, A-frikkin-rab. There are plenty of Muslims in this country who just want to be treated the same as everyone else. We'll keep them.

Man....this country's politicians/leaders need balls.


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## Freebird (Aug 5, 2008)

syscom3 said:


> Prayer in public schools has nothing to do with private business establishments.
> 
> Why cant this be handled like they do in other countries with muslim/christian religions?
> 
> ...



Makes sense Syscom. If they need a couple of days off for Ramadan or whatever fine. As long as the rest of the folks can take labor day off if they want.



Matt308 said:


> Foot washing receptacles.. .



I have seen signs up in quite a few washrooms "Please do not wash your feet in the sink"

Nothing like walking into a washroom and seeing somebody perched on top of the sink...


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## Matt308 (Aug 5, 2008)

I don't give a rip if someone washes their feet in the sink (if they don't make a friggin mess). What I do care about is if they install a sink that specifically says, "please do not wash your hands in sink".

They installed one in Detriot airport.


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## Freebird (Aug 5, 2008)

Matt308 said:


> I don't give a rip if someone washes their feet in the sink (if they don't make a friggin mess). What I do care about is if they install a sink that specifically says, "please do not wash your hands in sink".
> 
> They installed one in Detriot airport.



All the same, it's kind of nasty if some Muslim Taxi driver has been working a 12 hour shift, and then wants to be takin' his shoes off park his butt on the sink to do it. 

I think it would probably be better to have a prayer room, let 'em do whatever in private, it will help me keep my lunch down not having to listen to it.

Foot baths? Probably be easier to get 'em out of my hair anyways.

HOWEVER, I reserve the right to dip my *** in the foot bath if my religion dictates it...    


i don't have a problem trying to be accomodating. let the Jews have a room too, perhaps they can even find something for Christians. If it will cost big $$$ to put in a special bath though - they ought to pay for it.


What really concerns me far more is the Minnesota Muslim Taxi drivers refusing to take passengers with alcohol in their bags! WTF? Are they going to search my bag looking for booze?  

USATODAY.com - Airport Check-in: Fare refusals in Minnesota

And they refuse to take anyone carrying pork. Can they refuse to take Jewish passengers?


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## javlin (Aug 5, 2008)

And NO to seeing eye dogs in Muslim Taxi's.


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## RabidAlien (Aug 5, 2008)

javlin said:


> And NO to seeing eye dogs in Muslim Taxi's.



Okay, where's the Civil Rights crowd now? That's frikkin discrimination, plain and simple. But they're "an oppressed minority", therefore its okay. My furry arse, its okay. Its still discrimination, just from a different direction.


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## pbfoot (Aug 5, 2008)

I think everyone should suck back and reload if you read the item they are swapping labour day for the highest religious holiday in the Islamic calender I can't see what the big deal is . Isn't that one of the 4 freedoms that were exhaulted in WW2 by the US the freedom of worship , yes it irks me that i might not be granted the same rights in their lands but I also believe you guys are stronger and more tolerant then some mullah in Tehran and that is what many of you call a stength of the US . Freedom .
If you like i can take you to golf courses here that were built by thr Jewish folks of Buffalo because they were not allowed to golf on the Buffalo courses and it wasn't as long ago as you might think


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## Old Wizard (Aug 5, 2008)

Having worked in the engineering field in Canada and the US [mostly Petrochemical projects], anytime there was a project involving a Muslim country, provision of a prayer room was part of the project contract. That's been happening for years.


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## syscom3 (Aug 5, 2008)

> Nothing like walking into a washroom and seeing somebody perched on top of the sink...



I saw that once in a strip club in Vegas. Good looking woman but her boyfriend looked creepy.

8)


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## javlin (Aug 6, 2008)

Boy PB just roll over and lay then,Labour Day is indiscriminit no religion involved there.The country was founded on Christian values with the religious freedom involved.Trust me PB my employer gives me no special consideration's for Sunday if I do not like it find another job!No special pray rooms,no day off, they may work around it some but no guarantee.Trust me little working with me just comes with the territory and if the territory is to much will go elsewhere.


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## Freebird (Aug 6, 2008)

javlin said:


> Boy PB just roll over and lay then,Labour Day is indiscriminit no religion involved there.The country was founded on Christian values with the religious freedom involved.


 Yes and one of the founding values was toleration of different religions....

I agree with Pb, tell the employees that they have x number of holiday days, pick which ones they want. The plant in question is a shift place, they should have enough workers to give the Muslims their day off, let the Christians take Good Friday or Lent or whatever, give the Jews Yom kippur, give the druids the Vernal Equinox and so on.


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## javlin (Aug 6, 2008)

freebird said:


> Yes and one of the founding values was toleration of different religions....
> 
> I agree with Pb, tell the employees that they have x number of holiday days, pick which ones they want. The plant in question is a shift place, they should have enough workers to give the Muslims their day off, let the Christians take Good Friday or Lent or whatever, give the Jews Yom kippur, give the druids the Vernal Equinox and so on.



I did not see were PB actually said what you just said but that might be agreeable but it still remains a fact that other religions do not have theres.


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## pbfoot (Aug 6, 2008)

javlin said:


> I did not see were PB actually said what you just said but that might be agreeable but it still remains a fact that other religions do not have theres.


Thats because I didn't have to say it if you read the article


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## Freebird (Aug 6, 2008)

javlin said:


> I did not see were PB actually said what you just said but that might be agreeable but it still remains a fact that other religions do not have theres.





pbfoot said:


> I can't see what the big deal is . Isn't that one of the 4 freedoms that were exhaulted in WW2 by the US the freedom of worship , yes it irks me that i might not be granted the same rights in their lands but I also believe you guys are stronger and more tolerant then some mullah in Tehran and that is what many of you call a stength of the US . Freedom .



That's the part I was referring to. As long as the company is reasonable with requests for days off, {as Syscom3 posted} there should not be a problem. Now if they were to refuse requests from others for days of on Jewish or Christian holidays, then there is a problem!


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## ToughOmbre (Aug 10, 2008)

*Update! They have come back to their senses!*

*Tyson Plant Adds Muslim Holiday, Keeps Labor Day*

Fri Aug 8, 5:16 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Union workers and officials at a Tyson Foods plant in Tennessee said Friday they have agreed to reinstate Labor Day as a paid holiday, and the plant will also observe the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr this year. 

Tyson had previously agreed to drop Labor Day and substitute the Muslim holiday as part of a new 5-year contract to accommodate Muslim workers at the plant in Shelbyville, which is about 50 miles south of Nashville. The decision sparked widespread criticism, from local politicians to talk radio to the Internet.

The Springdale, Ark.-based company said it requested reinstating Labor Day after complaints from plant workers and the public.

Union members voted Thursday to reinstate Labor Day as one of the plant's paid holidays and keep Eid al-Fitr as an additional paid holiday for this year only. For the remainder of the contract, workers will have Labor Day and a personal holiday, which can be used to observe Eid al-Fitr or another day the employee's supervisor approves.

Union officials have said at least a couple hundred of the 1,200 plant workers are Muslim.

Eid al-Fitr — which falls on Oct. 1 this year — marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.

Muslim civil rights advocates criticized Tyson Foods, and a union official said the company's response was disingenuous.

"This wasn't something imposed. It seems that this backtracking would be the result of the backlash from anti-Muslim hate (Web) sites and Islamophobes on the Internet," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for Washington D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Stuart Appelbaum, president of the union headquartered in New York, said he was surprised by the reaction to the holiday change.

"I would have thought that people would have been more sensitive and sympathetic to the concern to the members of our community, who want to celebrate their religious faith," he said. "It's a little disingenuous to say that they (Tyson) were responding to employee concerns. The proposal came from workers themselves."

Tyson's previous decision to drop Labor Day as a paid holiday drew intense scrutiny. In a letter to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette newspaper published Thursday, the local mayor and other state elected leaders said substituting Labor Day "for a nontraditional holiday is unacceptable."

"For over a hundred years, Labor Day has stood as a symbol to honor the working men and women of this country. But for the past few years traditions like Labor Day have been under attack. This time it's gone too far and we, as patriotic Americans, must draw our line in the sand," the letter said states.

Requests for workplace accommodations of Muslim religious obligations have become common around the country, say Muslim advocates.

In 2005, 30 workers walked off the job at a Dell Inc. plant in Nashville after alleging the company refused to let them pray at sunset.

Last year, dozens of Somali meatpacking workers at a Nebraska plant quit their jobs because they were not given enough time off for Muslim prayers, though they eventually returned to work at the Swift Co. plant.

TO


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 10, 2008)

You see that is acceptable. Keep Labor Day and add the Muslim Holiday.

I do no have a problem with that. I am all for freedom of religion and allowing people to practice their religion, as long as you keep it fair. Us Christians have Christmas, the Muslims can have their holiday as well.


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

pbfoot said:


> I think everyone should suck back and reload if you read the item they are swapping labour day for the highest religious holiday in the Islamic calender I can't see what the big deal is . Isn't that one of the 4 freedoms that were exhaulted in WW2 by the US the freedom of worship , yes it irks me that i might not be granted the same rights in their lands but I also believe you guys are stronger and more tolerant then some mullah in Tehran and that is what many of you call a stength of the US . Freedom .
> If you like i can take you to golf courses here that were built by thr Jewish folks of Buffalo because they were not allowed to golf on the Buffalo courses and it wasn't as long ago as you might think



Easy, Pb. I read that the union backtracked. INSTEAD of removing labour day, they now are going to reinstate it and allow a personal holiday (for everyone). My understanding is that the original agreement would only last for 1 year and has been overidden by both Tyson and the Union.

And with respect to sinks, I don't care if some washes their feet in the same sink I blow snot rockets, wipe the feces off my hands or remove my scrotum residue. Eff em. But if you ask me to build them a sink that I can't do same then thems fighting words. Build your own damn foot washing facility and not on public property, time nor resources.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 10, 2008)

Besides before this compromise, which is okay, the issue was the fact that they were taking a holiday away from everyone and giving one only to the Muslims. That is why it was wrong.


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## Matt308 (Aug 10, 2008)

Yep. Well, not if the stupid union voted for it. Then its only wrong if you are union member and the majority didn't support it. You join a union, you get what you deserve.

[oh sorry did my true colors come through? those were inside words]


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