Kayem Foods is the second-largest meat processor in New England, producing hams, roast beef, bologna, and hot dogs. With about 340 production workers, the plant is one of the largest employers in Chelsea, a suburb of Boston with many immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

One worker, who asked that his name not be used, described how the company has been trying to squeeze more labor out of workers. For example, he said, "Kayem built an expansion of the plant and then wanted the same number of sanitation workers to clean that area too. They said: 'Enough--let's get the union.' "

This is the fourth effort to organize a union at the plant, and the second in two years. In the past the company has been able to foster divisions among workers by national origin, getting some to oppose the union. Three-quarters of the workers are Latino, and others are Vietnamese, Bosnian, and Polish. "This time," the worker told the Militant, "everyone is for the union. The warehouse workers, which are mostly white and English-speaking, want the union too. They want better pay because they have a heavy job."

Last year the company organized a campaign against the union-organizing drive, including an antiunion rally--that involved a number of workers--to counter the pro-union rally outside the plant a week before the vote.

The antiunion propaganda has resumed. "During the past several days it has been apparent that union organizers are once again attempting to unionize employees at Kayem Foods," declared company president Ray Monkiewicz in an August 31 letter to all employees. "We believe these organizers are interested only in collecting dues and fees from our employees.... Our employees should not have to pay union dues and fees, give up the right to speak for themselves, with regard to wages, benefits, or other work-related issues, or face the potential of strikes."

Workers have been circulating pro-union flyers in the plant for several weeks. The company has tried to counter pro-union sentiment by organizing departmental meetings to disparage the union.

A worker told the Militant, "They just gave a written warning to one of the pro-union people for passing out literature on company time. Another guy used to be for the union until they made him team leader."

The company has promoted the circulation of antiunion literature. One flyer, designed to give the false impression that it was produced by the union, called on workers to make sure that "all your immigration issues are in order and have proper work papers, since we want to be in good relation with the NLRB"--an obvious attempt to portray the union as intimidating workers.

Workers report that after the last union representation vote, the company arbitrarily fired a number of workers, including some who supported the union.

"In the packing room the women who work there have complained about the supervisors yelling at them. They don't treat us with respect," the pro-union worker said.

He also noted that forced overtime and disregard for seniority are also big issues. "When there is a lot of work they say, 'Come in on Saturday or you're fired.' And the company doesn't recognize seniority--they will put whoever they want to anywhere in the plant, even if someone else who has worked there longer asked for the position."

Workers hired as seasonal workers or permanent start at $10 an hour, while those hired through a temporary agency make $7 an hour. Seasonal workers and temporary workers receive no health benefits, sick pay, or vacation pay.

One flyer circulated by pro-union workers, addressed to company president Ray Monkiewicz, stated, "The supervisors don't respect us as human people that we are and they abuse us by screaming at us." It listed other abuses: discriminatory hiring practices, supervisors who refuse workers' requests to go to the bathroom, arbitrary denial of workers' "personal days," and the firing of a number of workers, "some of them after having presented doctor's notes."

Since the union filed the request for a representation election, the company has claimed that it shifts personnel on a daily basis between Kayem and its recently acquired Genoa Sausage plant, and that all the workers at both plants should vote because they would be in the same bargaining unit. Genoa Sausage in nearby Woburn employs about 100 production workers. The union representatives have rejected this as a company stalling tactic to prevent an election at the Kayem plant.

In a flyer, union supporters explained, "The reason why our election has been delayed is because Kayem now feels they're losing the campaign. This is the only reason they are trying to include the Woburn (Genoa) employees in our election. We believe Kayem and Genoa are two different companies, therefore Genoa in Woburn should have their own election."

The NLRB is expected to issue a decision soon to determine the bargaining unit and set a date for the election.