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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... 1999
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| FEBRUARY
15, 1999 8:30 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Greg Denier , 202-466-1591, or Marvin Russow of UFCW Local 227, 502-241-6978, e-mail: ufcw227@aol.com |
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| Truth Squad Targets Vienna, Ga., Tyson Plant | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- February 15 - On Tuesday, Feb. 16, the United Food and Commerical Workers
International
Union (UFCW), Local 227 is sending Tyson Foods the message: "We Won't
Back Down" and continues its pressure on Tyson. Striking workers from
the Tyson plant in Corydon, Ind., have joined "Truth Squads,"
named for their commitment to speak the truth to consumers, workers and the
community about conditions in many plants and to get the truth about working
conditions from plant workers in other facilities.
Appearing at 2:30 p.m. at the Tyson Foods processing plant at 1151 E. Pine St. in Vienna, Ga., the Truth Squad will announce its plans to reach Georgia's consumers, workers and community about worsening conditions in the poultry industry and the greed-driven efforts by corporate giants such as Tyson to push wages and conditions to near Third World levels. The Truth Squad is a key part of UFCW's efforts to build a movement among all Tyson workers to demand justice from the poultry and food processing giant. The Truth Squad has targeted the Tyson plant in Vienna to show support and unity with the workers who are organizing with the Atlanta-based UFCW Local 1996. Three weeks ago, the Vienna workers demonstrated their unified commitment to a voice for justice in the workplace by traveling more than 1,000 miles to rally with the striking workers in Corydon. The Corydon workers' struggle for dignity and decency has won the support from people across the country. The National Baptist Convention-USA Inc., the largest African-American denomination in the country, asked its churches not to buy Tyson chicken products for any of their church functions. People of faith, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, are reaching out in support of their struggle for justice and dignity. The more than 250 poultry workers in Corydon, Ind., were forced on strike over management demands to eliminate paid breaks for workers, reduce overtime pay rates, and gut contract protections. The workers, mostly local residents and long-term employees, put up picket lines at the plant on Jan. 3, 1999. When fully staffed, the Corydon plant processes more than 600,000 chickens a week or more than 2,000 birds per worker per week. With $7.5 billion in sales and $345.8 million in operating profit, Tyson is three times larger than its closest competitors. Average wages at the Indiana plant, $7.68 per hour, are more than a dollar an hour less than industry average. -0- |
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