NLRB holds off on certifying Smithfield union vote

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ih8gLHKrw-32obwUnCMaSc4N2B3gD9561VA81

TAR HEEL, N.C. (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board is holding off on officially declaring that the world's largest pork slaughterhouse has a new labor union.

The NLRB is expected to certify last week's vote backing a union at the Smithfield Packing Co. plant. Smithfield executives said they won't challenge the election won by the United Food and Commercial Workers.

But NLRB assistant regional director Howard Neidig said Friday the federal agency will wait until next week to certify the UFCW as the union for the plant's approximately 4,600 production and maintenance workers.

The deadline for objections to the vote was Thursday, but NLRB officials are waiting to make sure nothing postmarked by the deadline arrives in the mail.