Workers distributed hundreds of copies of this special edition of la Neta throughout the day inside ConAgra's Northern States Beef slaughterhouse in Omaha. La Neta, Spanish slang for "the truth," is an in-plant newsletter that was started by production workers as a tool to respond to increased company attacks during the union-organizing drive.

Nearly 100 supporters joined the meatpacking workers at the pro-union rally March 27 at the entrance to the large facility, including members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and a half dozen other unions. Some traveled many hours to attend.

Roughly 500 meat packers work in the nonunion factory, killing 1,150 cattle per eight-hour day. The workers face line speedup, unsafe working conditions, and low wages.

"Two years ago we killed 1,000 cows in 10 hours. It's much faster now, and they yell at us," said Juan Valadez, 46. Valadez has worked in the plant for 20 years and is one of the leaders of the Workers Committee. The bosses slowed down the kill floor chain to a crawl, keeping workers beyond their usual quitting time so they wouldn't be able to attend the rally. "In 20 years I had never seen the line run so slow," stated Valadez.  
 
Rally inside the plant
Leaders of the workers committee organized a response to the company maneuver. After lunch, workers thundered their disapproval when the line stopped. Knives crashed, voices whooped, and choruses of "Sí se puede!" (Yes we can) erupted throughout the afternoon. During the second break, two workers dashed out to the rally to update them on the "rally" inside the plant and how workers were making it clear that they wanted to be outside at the press conference.

Over the last two months members of the ConAgra Workers Committee organized to sign up hundreds of workers for the union by talking about the importance of having an organization to take up issues such as wages and working conditions with the company. A large majority of workers signed representation cards.

A union recognition vote in November 2000 was defeated after the company made promises that conditions would improve, including a plea from one of the multinational's vice presidents to "give us one more chance."

"I didn't support the union last time. But this year I won't be fooled," said a kill floor worker.

Management has put up large bilingual posters at the exit to the cafeterias, thanking workers for their trust in the company, and encouraging them to vote "'no" in the election. They promise to organize upcoming in-plant meetings to present the "facts" about the union. Workers received an antiunion letter in their paychecks several weeks ago declaring, "You are free to tell the union no! Just leave me alone!" ConAgra management also posted stickers on various plant doors warning, "Caution, union promises ahead."

Maintenance workers, who also held a representation election in 2000, voted for the union in a 20-13 vote.  
 
Defending union members
Tiberio Chavez, a kill floor maintenance worker at the plant for 11 years and the union steward for the mechanics, was fired following a serious accident where he fell 30 feet to the floor. The company used a pretext unrelated to the accident to fire him and another union mechanic, Angel Sanchez.

Kill floor workers responded by collecting 140 signatures on a petition in half a day. Workers then turned the petition in to management, and continue in their efforts to win their reinstatement. Chavez's case is currently in arbitration.

"Workers have learned that everything the company promised them didn't take place," Chavez told the Militant. "Things aren't getting better, they're getting worse. However, this year we have a committee that's seriously dedicated to organizing the workers and keeping the campaign alive. This is one of the main things that will secure a victory."

Jorge Gomez, 35, a kill floor maintenance worker who has worked in the plant for four years, also spoke at the rally. "Maintenance workers want the entire plant to be organized so we can stand together. We only ask for dignity. There should be no discrimination based on our language or national origin."

Through the organizing drive, workers are gaining experience and confidence in their capacities to take on the company. One afternoon workers on the kill floor took advantage of a shutdown for cleaning to collect more than 40 signatures from workers in the fabrication department. The kill floor workers gathered in the parking lot to greet every fabrication worker as they exited the plant and encouraged them to sign a union card.

Fabrication and kill floor workers rarely have a chance to interact because they work on opposite ends of the plant, have different start times, and don't share a common cafeteria or locker room. This effort helped to bridge the two groups of workers.  
 
Stepping up activities
Members of the Workers Committee are planning to step up their efforts before the election date by organizing more meetings and other activities and continuing to get out la Neta.

"Our committee's expanding. One idea is to have the next la Neta in Arabic as well, because our Sudanese co-workers are getting into it," said kill floor worker Lisa Rottach, another supporter of the Workers Committee.

Donna McDonald, president of UFCW Local 271, said that an NLRB election could be held in the next two months. The UFCW, together with Omaha Together One Community, a coalition of religious organizations, began a campaign in June 2000 to organize 4,000 packinghouse workers in Omaha. In addition to the maintenance department at the ConAgra Northern States Beef plant, workers have ratified a contract at ConAgra's Armour-Swift-Eckrich dry sausage plant.

The union is challenging the outcome of the vote at Nebraska Beef, which it narrowly lost. The company is appealing a ruling by a labor board hearing officer that a new election should be organized, citing numerous violations by Nebraska Beef that undermined the fairness of the election.

Joe Swanson contributed to this article  
 
 
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