Workers at Kayem Foods will vote November 22 in a second attempt in as many years to be represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445. The company hoped to dilute the vote at Kayem by including workers and bosses from its Woburn plant where there has been little union activity as of yet. Kayem Foods is the second largest meat processing plant in New England, making hot dogs, hams, bologna, and other deli meats.

As the election date has neared, the company has stepped up its antiunion propaganda, organizing departmental meetings to try to line up workers to vote against the union. "Do not be misled by the big promises of paid union organizers," wrote Kayem president Ray Monkiewicz in an October 3 letter to employees, one of several antiunion tracts issued by the company. "We have all worked very hard to build a good place to work without any outside union coming between us. We have no dues...no fines...no one loses work because of strikes...no one is asked to risk his or her job by being permanently replaced in a union called strike."

Pro-union workers are reaching out to their co-workers to answer the company propaganda and to tell the truth about the union-organizing campaign.

"We are doing good," said one worker who asked not to be identified in the media. "In front of the company a lot of people are quiet. But when you talk to them outside the plant, people are liberated. People know what they want."  
 
 
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