—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Workers at Cargill turkey plant in Virginia fight
for union

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Workers in Cargill’s turkey processing plant have no say over the conditions of work in our plant in Dayton. There are more than 1,200 employees between the two shifts, including Africans, Arabs, Hispanics, Asians, Russians and workers born in the U.S. It’s the largest plant in this part of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, a center for the poultry industry, putting out 7.4 million pounds of product weekly.

Many workers are injured. The company commits many injustices against the workers. There is no seniority, so certain pro-company employees are treated as favorites. Unfortunately, the Hispanic supervisors are the most abusive.

Workers have become conscious and want to fight together to organize in a union and make change. This is the only hope for putting a stop to these modern-day pharaohs.

We are wearing the yellow union T-shirts from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 on Fridays, and if there is no work Friday we wear them Thursday. When we started in February, there were five of us. Now more than 100 every Friday wear the shirt. I call it “Yellow Fever.”

— José M. Pérez, a member of the union-organizing drive at Cargill

Workers at N.Y. Momentive plant rally for fired unionists

MECHANICVILLE, New York — Some 50 Momentive workers, their families and supporters attended a fundraiser here April 15 to defend the 26 workers fired by Momentive Performance Materials bosses while on strike over the past winter. The 105-day walkout of some 700 unionists won widespread support from workers and unions across the region.

“Eleven of the 26 were fired on the picket line for supposed misconduct and 15 were accused of sabotage,” Frank Izzo, a worker at the plant, told the Militant. “The company is treating them as guilty until proven innocent.”

Workers are wearing and displaying T-shirts, stickers, arm bands, posters and other items featuring the number 26, and the company is attempting to ban their display in the plant.

“The company policy is a violation of our right to union activity. We are defending those who have exercised their union rights,” said Shawn Mastropietro, chief shop steward in the plant. “Workers are still wearing the number into work, but the company is prohibiting it in the work area, claiming it creates a hostile environment.”

“The company is trying to do everything possible to keep these workers from their jobs,” said Dominick Patrignani, president of IUE-CWA Local 81359, which represents the majority of the strikers.

The New York State Council of Churches is giving its annual social justice award to the union workers. “We believe the Momentive workers show the highest ideals of the union movement,” Rev. Peter Cook, executive director of the council, told the Albany Times Union. “Their efforts to keep sticking up for the 26 workers left behind is a welcome altruistic gesture in the ‘me first’ political environment in which we dwell.”

Les Wheeler, who has worked at Momentive for 28 years, told the Militant that the company created the conditions that led to the strike in the first place. “They did not bargain in good faith,” he said. “They wanted to break the union at all costs,” but they were not able to do so.

Another event to support the fired workers is scheduled for April 30 at Chrome Food and Spirits in Waterford from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Donations can be sent to Save The 26 IUE-CWA 81359, P.O. Box 339, Waterford, NY 12188.

— Jacob Perasso