Tyson Foods backed down on it’s contract with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) to recognize Eid al-Fitr rather than Labor Day.

The Tyson Press Release:

Labor Day Reinstated as Paid Holiday at Shelbyville, TN, Plant; Tyson Foods Requested Change from Union

Springdale, Arkansas – August 8, 2008 – Tyson Foods, Inc. announced today it has reached a new agreement with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), an American union, reinstating Labor Day as one of the designated paid holidays under the contract for covered employees in the Shelbyville, Tennessee, plant.

Tyson made this request on behalf of its Shelbyville plant employees, some of whom had expressed concern about the new contract provisions relative to paid holidays. In an effort to be responsive, Tyson asked the union to reopen the contract to address the holiday issue, and the union agreed to do so. The union membership voted overwhelmingly Thursday to reinstate Labor Day as one of the plant’s paid holidays, while keeping Eid al-Fitr as an additional paid holiday for this year only. This means that in 2008 only, Shelbyville employees will have nine paid holidays.

For the remainder of the five-year contract period, the eight paid holidays will include: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and a Personal Holiday, which could either be the employee’s birthday, Eid al-Fitr or another day requested and approved by their supervisor.

This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, Tennessee. Labor Day has always been celebrated, and continues to be, at the other 118 Tyson plants across the country.

The Shelbyville complex employs approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 1,000 workers are covered by the RWDSU union agreement at that location.

Public outrage at these fools to change their moronic agreement recognizing the Muslim religious holiday has prevailed.  Score one for America.

t/b: Michelle Malkin

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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU),  a union that endorses Barack Obama in his 2008 Presidential candidacy, has negotiated with Tyson Foods  recognize a Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr instead of the traditional  American Labor Day holiday.

Employees are not happy with this stunt.

Workers at Tyson Foods’ poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day, but will instead take the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in the fall.

From The Shelbyville Times:

A recent press release from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) stated that a new contract at the Shelbyville facility “implements a new holiday to accommodate the … Muslim workers at the plant.”

The RWDSU stated that “the five-year contract creates an additional paid holiday, Iidal Fitil, a Muslim holiday that occurs toward the end of Ramadan.”

Eid al-Fitr falls on Oct. 1 this year.

…

From The UFCW website (6/10/08):

UFCW President Joe Hansen spoke with the RWDSU Executive Board at a meeting in Washington, D.C., this morning, discussing the importance of electing Sen. Barack Obama in the presidential election, the upcoming UFCW convention in Montreal, and the issue of immigration reform.

At the meeting, the RWDSU Executive Board endorsed Obama for U.S. president, and also heard from guest speakers Congressman Steve Israel (D – NY) and Congressman Anthony D. Weiner (D – NY).

Tyson should not have sacrificed a traditional American holiday for this Muslim recognized Ramadan holiday.

t/b:  Michelle Malkin,  Stop The ACLU
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