John Edwards advocates Smithfield union vote

Source: The Fayetteville Observer


Published on Friday, June 22, 2007

John Edwards advocates Smithfield union vote

By Melissa Willett
Staff writer

CHAPEL HILL — Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is calling on Smithfield Packing Co. to allow its workers in Tar Heel to vote for a union.


Staff photo by Marc Hall
John Edwards is surrounded by current and former employees of Smithfield Packing Co. during a speech at his campaign headquarters in Chapel Hill.

At his campaign headquarters in Chapel Hill on Thursday, Edwards met with about a dozen current and former employees of the hog processing plant.

The workers told their stories during a 45-minute closed-door meeting, followed by a news conference with two workers talking about their experiences.


Staff photo by Marc Hall
John Edwards is surrounded by current and former employees of Smithfield Packing Co. during a speech at his campaign headquarters in Chapel Hill.

This is the former North Carolina senator’s second bid for the White House, and he has focused his campaign heavily on labor issues. With Thursday’s appearance, he’s stepping into a longstanding dispute between Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers International union, which has tried for years to unionize the plant.



Read more: http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=265582

vote:

"Edwards criticized the company for not providing decent working conditions or paying a living wage.

“My whole campaign is about building one America,” Edwards said, adding that every worker should have opportunity for prosperity. “This is the perfect example of what I’ve talked about.”

He was great! He talked a lot about the "Two Americas" theme and mentioned that he was working around the country helping labor workers getting unionized - thanks for the article!

And no. Bill Clinton's not home.:hippie: Happy to help America though.

He stands up for the blue collar issues and traditional Democratic base in the way the corporatist, DLC New Democrats don't. He's still not my first choice (D.K. all the way!) but he's a head above the other two.

There was a time when that wasn't so rare.

"There was a time when that wasn't so rare."

The best solution to this that I have heard is publicly financed elections.

are intent on tearing Edwards down; they don't want a pro-working American person in the White House.

:loveya:

It's not just that he's going there, I've watched video of him talking to people, and it really seems like he cares. He's either the real thing or the best at faking it we've seen in a long time. I wish all the people who criticized him for not seeming genuine would really watch him with ordinary people. I also wish they'd read "Four Trials" - it's not a political novel at all, it's about people.