Smithfield to stop using gestation crates by 2017

[Critters2]

A minor victory, but a victory nonetheless

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/BUSINESS01/70125018/1001

[peacebuzzard]

1. small victory is better than no victory.

but 2017? seems like just a put off to me.

[Omaha Steve]

2. The animals have it better than the workers

http://www.smithfieldjustice.com/

On Wednesday, January 24, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 21 Smithfield workers from the Tar Heel, NC plant.

The arrests have spread fear and confusion throughout the workforce and larger community. This development is another attempt by Smithfield to terrorize workers into silence. Because of Smithfield’s actions, families are being torn apart; children coming home from school do not know where their parents are and workers fear going to work. Today Smithfield’s production was cut in half as employees did not report to work, fearing they would be next.

Yesterday’s arrests come on the heels of the company announcement that it will fire up to 600 people in the coming weeks, primarily those who walked out in protest last November over the firings of fellow employees for alleged problems with social security mismatches.

Despite tremendous odds, Smithfield workers have been courageously struggling for a voice on the job for over a decade. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is supporting the establishment of a humanitarian fund to assist workers and their families who are unfairly terminated.

The arrests may very well be in violation of ICE’s own guidelines which prohibit ICE from facilitating the use of immigration laws of enforcement to intervene in a labor dispute.

As the crisis for Smithfield workers intensifies, we must mobilize a strong, national network of supporters to stand with workers to demand an end to the abuse. You can help Smithfield workers by recruiting 10 of your friends to join our base of supporters.

For more information on the arrests and the November walkout, please check out:
Click here.

To follow the plight of the workers and get up to date information on developments in the struggle for justice at Smithfield, go to:
Click here.

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[Critters2]

3. Bad, but not worse. No workers are in gestation crates.

The sad fact is that workers come here because, bad as things are, they're better than what they left in Mexico or Central America, and Smithfield capitalizes on that. At least the workers CAN struggle for justice. Hard to do when you're clamped into a sow crate.

And then there's always castration without anesthesia.