Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 17:21:48 -0500 From: Yoshie Furuhashi <Furuhashi.1-AT-osu.edu> Subject: M-FEM: Pressure needed in support of poultry industry investigation >Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 18:28:06 -0700 (PDT) >From: Mike Rhodes <clr2-AT-igc.apc.org> >Subject: Pressure needed in support of poultry industry investigation >Sender: clr2-AT-igc.org > >Labor Alerts/Labor News >a service of Campaign for Labor Rights >1247 "E" Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 >clr-AT-igc.apc.org (541) 344-5410 http://www.compugraph.com/clr > >Action Alert: Pressure Needed in Support of Poultry Industry >Investigation > >Summary: Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman has been receiving >political pressure not to follow through with the Department of >Labor's promises to investigate the poultry industry. The poultry >workers' justice project of the National Interfaith Committee for >Worker Justice is asking for letters urging Herman to fulfill the >promises made by the Labor Department last year. > >Background: The poultry workers' justice project is a campaign of the >National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (NICWJ) focused on >improving working conditions, worker rights, and worker pay for >employees of poultry plants. The Code of Ethics released by the NICWJ >on January 23 states that: "Poultry companies should treat workers >with respect, pay a living wage, provide fair benefits, ensure safety >on the job, guarantee workers' right to organize without fear and >negotiate in good faith with workers' elected representatives. >Companies that recruit immigrant workers should assist those >immigrants with their transition into a new community and country." > >The principle campaign focus of the NICWJ is the workers' struggle at >the Case Farms poultry processing plants in Morgantown, North >Carolina, and Winesburg, Ohio. Most of the workers in the Morgantown >plant are from Guatemala. In July of 1995, Morgantown workers voted to >be represented by the Laborers International Union of North America, >but Case Farms has been unwilling to cooperate and the workers do not >yet have a contract. > >The Department of Labor under Secretary Robert Reich agreed in >November to investigate the poultry industry this spring, but the >Department is currently being pressured to hold off on its >investigation. This could further delay agreement on a contract at >the Morgantown, Case Farms plant. Nine Southern Senators sent a joint >letter to Alexis Herman, Secretary of Labor for the DOL, urging her to >not proceed with the promised investigation. > >In an effort to apply positive pressure and encourage the >investigation of the poultry industry, Kim Bobo, director of NICWJ, is >asking concerned individuals to write letters to Alexis Herman. The >letters should address the need for worker rights and sanitary >conditions in the poultry plants and urge Herman to immediately follow >through with the Department of Labor's promise to investigate the >poultry industry. > >Letters can be sent to: > >Alexis Herman, Secretary of Labor > >Department of Labor >200 Constitution Ave. NW >Washington, DC 20212 > >[Case Farms workers held a rally on July 12 in Morgantown, NC, to >celebrate two years of organizing and to emphasize the continuing >need to negotiate a contract. Speakers at the rally will be Baldemar >Velasquez, Linda Chavez, and Bishop Jess DeWitt.] > >For more information about the NICWJ, their poultry workers' justice >project, and the Case Farms campaign, please contact the NICWJ at 1607 >W. Howard, Suite 218, Chicago, IL 60626; phone: (773) 381-3345; or >fax: (773) 381-2832. > >CAMPAIGN FOR LABOR RIGHTS memberships: Send $35.00 to CLR, 1247 "E" >Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. For a sample copy of our newsletter, >send your postal address to clr-AT-igc.apc.org >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Labor Alerts lists: Nike, Disney, Guess, child labor, Guatemala, >Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, US farm workers, US poultry processing >workers. To receive information on each of these, let us know that >you want to be on our ALL CAMPAIGNS list. If you would like to >receive information which falls ourside those categories (prison >labor, workfare, other policy issues, additional briefing material on >some campaigns), indicate that you want to be on our Additional Labor >Information list AS WELL AS our All Campaigns list. >
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