BY ROLLANDE GIRARD
PLANT CITY, Florida - "People stuck together and we showed that we could not be pushed around. If nothing else, they've got to respect that," said Jerry Conard, a truck lift operator at Lykes/Smithfield Meat Co. in this town near Tampa in central Florida.

The 540 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1625 here voted to ratify an agreement with the company on May 22. The new contract gives an across-the- board 15 cent wage increase for the first half of the 21- month contract, and 10 cents for the rest of the term.

The strikers also won a raise for new hires from $5.75 to $7 an hour and an increase of 50 cents every 6 months, topping out at $10.28. "The company thought that having new hires in the plant was going to get us, but the new people hung in as strong as anyone else," Conard said.

The company had originally demanded an extension of the last contract for 6 months. When the workers refused, the company offered a 21-month contract with no pay increase. The union asked for 25 cents per year for three years. After the company's refusal to negotiate, the workers at Lykes/Smithfield walked off the job at midnight on April 12.

The UFCW members waged a six-week strike against Smithfield, a major hog producer, pork processor, and meat marketer that owns numerous plants around the country. The company has more than 16,000 employees and yearly sales of $4.5 billion.

Since the company bought this plant from Lykes Bros. in 1996, it has invested millions of dollars in modernizing it, while speeding up production by double or triple according to strikers.

Hiring of Mexicans strengthens union
"The company hired about 100 Mexicans last year, thinking they would take over our jobs", said Tom Baretta, "but almost all of them support the strike." Baretta was speaking just before the contract vote.

Rosa, a Mexican-born worker, is one example of this. She started at Smithfield only two weeks before the strike began. Referring to the company's refusal to raise wages, Rosa said she supported the strike because "some people worked here a long time and I believe that it is an injustice. They spent their youth here. They don't think only about themselves but about the ones who will come after them." She said she had some experience in Mexico in strikes against U.S. companies that had refused wage increases.

Although some strikers joined the union only after the strike started, they received the same weekly benefits as those who had contributed to a weekly strike fund before the walkout.

The strikers organized lively picket lines every day, which often had between 50 and 100 people at any given time - day and night. The union organized a food bank and a barbecue was cooked by the pickets on the line.

Many drivers passing by the busy Turkey Creek Road would honk in support and some would stop to show their support and join the picket line.

The strikers were proud of how they were able to stick together. Only 10-15 workers crossed the line. Other strikebreakers were hired through temporary agencies.

The many nationalities represented on the picket line was evident, with many different languages being spoken.

"Viva la huelga!" [Long live the strike] yelled Prayoon Sawaengsri, who is originally from Thailand. Some of his fellow Latin American strikers had taught him some words in Spanish as he led chants with a bullhorn.

Scott M. Burney is a member of Teamster Local 79 at United Parcel Service who was on strike there last fall. He stopped by and asked for leaflets to distribute to his co- workers.

"I am happy about the outcome of our strike - it was well worth it. And I hope that these guys get what they need," Burney said. "Everybody jacks up the price but the employers won't raise the wages," he added.

The drivers at UPS refused to deliver for Smithfield, so the company had to call another delivery company.

"It is a moral victory being that we are going back getting something," stated striker Scott Shapman, "It is better to go back and get something even if it is not all we asked for but it is more than what the company offered originally."

Vernon Smith has worked a total of 40 years for Smithfield. He quit three times and came back. In the six- week strike he picketed 10-12 hours a day, missing only one day on the picket line.

Smith explained that "this strike means of lot for me. A lot of people are supporting us. Before, people talked to me about strikes but I didn't do anything about it. But from now on, when this is over, I will support other people who go on strike any way I can."  
 
 
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