Thirteen of the striking meat packers, who are members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1439, were fired the day after the walkout began, accused by the company of organizing an unauthorized strike. Other workers say they have received termination notices from the company.

Manuel Rangel, a kill-floor worker for a decade at the company, said they struck partly in response to speedup on the job. "Over the past two years the company has increased the number of cows we kill each day by 125, but with the same number of workers," he said. "This has meant a big increase in injuries. They sent me a letter telling me I was fired on Saturday. I think this was because I was on television on Thursday explaining what the strike was about."

The strikers are angry that the contract was extended without their approval. José Montano, a 27-year-old worker on the kill floor, said, "Now is when the company is hurting. In November they will have filled their orders and will start laying off. Winter is slack time." Montano has worked at Washington Beef for nine years.  
 
Outstanding grievances
According to Montano, most workers receive between $7 and $8 an hour with inadequate medical benefits and no dental or vision benefits. Strikers reported that in addition to the line speedup, workers have a number of outstanding grievances over company mistreatment.

Sergio Hernández, who has worked on the kill floor for 16 years, said the company refused to relay messages from his family the day his father died. He said that the company told workers that in rejecting the extension of the contract expiration date, the workers had shown that they didn't care about the events in New York September 11. "But that's not true," he said. "We care very much about what happened. But the company doesn't care about us."

Strikers are organizing picket lines at two locations at the plant and organized a car caravan through Toppenish to let other workers know about their fight. Native American officials have allowed the strikers to park their cars and to rally on property owned by the Yakima Nation across the street from the plant. Local stores have given food, and farmers have donated peaches and apples. United Farm Workers union members have also joined the picket lines to show their support. "They've been here all three days," said striker Juan Serrano.

Company officials said the plant may have to slow production, since most of the workers had not returned to work as they had expected. A few did go back, but most of the workers who walked out remain on strike. According to Hector Roman, a fabrication worker, "We wanted to negotiate, but they never answered."

Cecelia Moriarity is a meat packer and member of UFCW Local 81 in Kent. Chris Rayson, member of the United Transportation Union and worker at Burlington Northern Santa Fe, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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