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Dispute between Swift and Muslim workers expands

By Chris Casey, Greeley Tribune

Published September 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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A roiling labor dispute over the observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and assembly-line operations shifted from a Greeley meatpacking plant to one in Grand Island, Neb., as more workers protested break times.

Five hundred Muslim workers walked off the job Monday at the JBS Swift & Co. plant in Nebraska after they say they were denied time to pray.

The walkout follows a similar action at the JBS Swift plant in Greeley on Sept. 5, when roughly 300 workers walked off the job. That led to the firings of about 120 workers.

Graen Isse, one of the workers fired in Greeley for what the company called an unauthorized walkout during their shift, said he was saddened by the Grand Island news.

"I'm feeling bad. I don't want anybody to be facing unemployment," Isse said Tuesday. "I want them to have their jobs and support their families."

Tamara Smid, a JBS Swift spokeswoman, issued a short statement regarding the Grand Island situation via e-mail Tuesday afternoon. She said company officials began meeting with union leaders last Friday along with Muslim leaders to address the timing of the plant's second- shift lunch break.

"We are continuing to meet with the parties to reach a resolution that is acceptable to all parties involved," Smid said in the statement. "Our hope is that we can strike a balance between a reasonable accommodation of their requests and our operational requirements."

Smid said the company on Tuesday received "some grievance notices" from leaders of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 in regard to the terminated workers at the Greeley plant.

"We do not comment further on any specifics other than to say they will be handled accordingly," Smid said in the e-mail.

Isse said virtually all of the terminated workers filed for unemployment benefits on Monday and Tuesday, working through union representatives in Greeley. He said the workers also are filing for hardship benefits through the union.

Six more Muslim workers were fired at the Greeley plant Monday for taking breaks to pray around sunset, Isse said.

Some of the fired Muslim workers in Greeley met with a representative of the U.S. Department of Justice, and most have remained in Greeley, Isse said.

"I'm not going nowhere. I like Greeley," Isse said, noting that he had an interview this week at the Weld County Courthouse to work as a translator.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Comments

  • September 17, 2008

    7:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Millere writes:

    Please tell me cheap meat is not more important than these peoples religious freedoms. There is no reason that these hardworking Muslims cannot be accommodated. If this company did this to Christians or Jews, no one would ever eat their products ever again. In fact, I'm losing my taste for their meat by the second...

  • September 17, 2008

    7:57 a.m.

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    whazzamattau writes:

    The issue that Swift is facing is that Muslim employees are demanding break time for their prayers at sunset each evening. The company employs over a thousand workers and accommodating Muslim employees means the entire line must be shut down at these irregular times. This means that the entire plant is idled while wages are paid and no work is being done by either the Muslims or any other line workers. Swift's actions are legal and reasonable because they simply want to protect their business operations. No similar accommodations are made for US citizens that are Christians, and yet we hear of no protests from them.

  • September 17, 2008

    8:01 a.m.

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    jamac writes:

    The facts are that this country was founded on religious tolerance, but always with a Christian slant. ...that this country was founded for the advantage of the white people ...and on many other "crooked" slants. Now, I am a white Christian male but I've suffered greatly at the hands of this country which shows that there's something deeper than what I've just mentioned... its called the 'almighty' dollar. Even though the laws are there for these people's protection, it would not surprise me at all if they end up with the short end of the stick, because in this sick world (regardless of what country you're talking about), money always comes before God, even Allah (even though they're one and the same). Just looking at US history, (which continously repeats itself with nothing learned) this "religous intolerance" shouldn't surprise anyone. You Americans (which I've been one, from many generations) only have yourselves to blame.

  • September 17, 2008

    9:13 a.m.

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    wygent writes:

    Millerre:
    Just for fun try going to your seven day a week employer and tell him you're a Christian or a Jew and you're not going to work on Saturday (or Sunday as the case may be). Your employer will quite legally and correctly suggest that you would be better off employed at a company that only operates Monday thru Friday. This is not about freedom to practice one's religion, it is about practicing one's religion at work. I doubt that any Catholics who work at Swift would even consider asking to take time off for mass on Ascension Thursday or any other Catholic Holy Days. Why? Because they know that in the USA we don't mix our religious observance with our employer's business. This is not about cheap meat, it's about equal treatment. The muslims would be happier working a shift that does not extend through sunset, they should go find a job that provides such a shift.

    wygent

  • September 17, 2008

    9:18 a.m.

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    anteup writes:

    The people to blame are the ones that take a job and then whine about the hours and expect the company to conform to their wants. When one has taken all the risks involved in starting and running a company, paying all the different taxes involved in running a company, complied with all the expensive government regulations involved in running a company, and created jobs for the working man, HE should have every right in the world to hire people that works the hours he needs them. If you can't work those hours, get another damn job and let someone that wants to work have that one.

  • September 17, 2008

    9:52 a.m.

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    stan0301 writes:

    It is important to remember that while the U.S. guarantees the Muslims the right to their religion, that part of this freedom of religion is the freedom FROM religion. The work place is not the mosque. There are as many religions as trees have leaves--if each were to be free to do whatever in the workplace you would have goats being sacrificed on the desk top--"after all goat sacrifice is part of my religion"--Swift is doing the right thing the Muslims are welcome to bring their religion to the workplace in their hearts--but the practice of religion stops at the work place door. If that doesn't work they are TOTALLY FREE to seek work elsewhere.

  • September 17, 2008

    11:08 a.m.

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    navymom writes:

    Did anyone notice that these workers that are here on visas are now drawing unemployment instead of being deported?

  • September 17, 2008

    11:15 a.m.

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    datbinnurick writes:

    wygent: AMEN!!! Thank you for explaining it to all these people here that are to ignorant (and blind) to understand what is going on!!!

  • September 17, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

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    jamac writes:

    navymom... good point!

    But, can any of you look at this problem beyond the framework of US law, custom and practice? You can't, even though I'm sure many of you claim to worship God! funny. I've devoted my life to searching for truth. I want only the truth. And if you were to find the truth like I have, you'd find all this as nothing. You have no answers. I certainly don't. But I'm glad someone does - it's just not with mankind.

  • September 17, 2008

    6:04 p.m.

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    mshaltot writes:

    navymom: And how did you figure out those workers had visas, as opposed to being U.S. citizens?

  • September 17, 2008

    8:55 p.m.

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    navymom writes:

    mshaltot, previous reports on this situation have told us that these people are here on visas.

    jamac, Don't pretend to be holier than the rest of us. I know that Jesus is the answer to all of mankinds problems, but the Bible tells me that I am to obey the laws of Caesar unless it conflicts with God's law. If I choose to disobey the laws of Caesar, the Bible does not tell me that I will be immune from the punishment of Caesar. If the government tells me that I cannot own a Bible, worship God, or commands me to do something that opposes God's law, such as in China forcing abortions on women who already have one child, then I must disobey. If I am punished by Caesar, or in this case the US government, then that is the consequence of my disobedience.

    In the case of these Muslim immigrant workers, if they choose to disobey the US government by not fulfulling the obligations of their visas, then they should be deported. If they choose to walk off of their job and leave their employer hanging, then they deserve to be fired. I know that if I as a Christian walked off of my job on Christmas, Sunday or any other time, I would be fired.

  • September 18, 2008

    8:10 a.m.

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    jamac writes:

    navymom, I agree with you 100%, except I'm not trying to be holier than anyone else. I try to imitate Jesus as much as possible in everything I do, but I'm the first to admit that I don't do it very well. On a regular basis I doubt my own salvation because I just can't seem to get some things right, no matter how hard I try. But what I am saying is that I'm just a messenger. Like I said earlier, I search for truth. I have studied the bible frontwards and backwards my entire life. Jesus commanded to preach the "good news". That's all I'm trying to do here.
    Man cannot solve his problems. He's been trying for some 6000 years. God has already said man will never solve even some of the most basic problems that should be very easy to solve.I will never pledge allegiance to any man's flag, but rather bend my knee toward my king, the Christ, Jesus. And as you said, for the time being, he said we are to obey mans laws as long as they don't violate God's laws.
    The true answer to this whole problem with Muslims demanding their time to worship God is - God requires you to devote yourself to a certain amount of work in order to support your family. As long as that amount of time doesn't interfere with your worship of God (and he doesn't ask for very much; he knows we have lives to live.) devote that time to your employer. I don't believe Islam has favor with God as many, if not most, of any devout Christians believe, which is why they are not Muslims. God has not stated that at any such specific time, you must pray to him. I pray quite often, and most of the time no one knows it. If your job requires you to work on Sunday, when your congregation worships God, then quit that job OR find a congregation that worships when you're not required to work.
    God set the example with Israel requiring a day of rest to be devoted to worshiping and learning about God, not labor. No big deal. Worship him first and he'll make sure you have the right job.

  • October 17, 2008

    2 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rvnurse2b writes:

    Part of the problem stems form the fact (as I have read elsewhere)
    that Swift hired these people, knowing their religious requirements up front and for a long time was acommodating their religious law which requires them to pray at a certain time, in a certain way (not compatible with staying on the line and cutting meat, unlike Christians who can pray in any position or direction, in their hearts or aloud)
    They suddenly stopped doing so. That's not fair.
    It's just as unfair as changing your hours when they know that you are available only during certain days and times. Most of us just put up with it, but these Muslims aren't and I commend them.

    I am a Christian, Allah and God are NOT the same, but the employer was unfair in changing the rules on these workers.
    I believe in religious freedom for all of us, and if we want to have it, then we also need to give it to others.

    Contrary to popular belief, Jews and Christians HAVE taken their cases to court. They have won in some cases and lost in others.
    It just doesn't get a lot of press in the mass media.

    My husband and I go to church on Sunday evening, and Wednesday, and his employer has kept

    Shifting the break times of some workers will fix the problem, and not leave them with the problem of turning off all the equipment and everything.

    Freedom FROM religion is keeping some people (Christians, a basic tenet of which is telling others about Christ and encouraging those who know Him) from being able to practice their religion FREELY.

    The laws protect RECOGNIZED religious laws and practices, which can be proven to be an actual part of the person's faith in practice, one that is REQUIRED in a certain way, not something that is considered good, but not written into the laws of the religion. Sacrificing a goat on the desk would not be one of those that could hold up in court.

    Catholics have successfully taken religious holidays off.
    They also have the option of going to mass in the evenings on those days.
    A problem with Islam is that the required prayers are 5 times a day, and the times change, especially during Ramadan. Sunset changes from day to day too. It would be difficult to have a job where you didn't run into at least one prayertime as a Muslim.