Smithfield: Workers Want Union Vote

Source: Associated Press

By MIKE BAKER

RALEIGH, N.C. -

Workers at the world's largest hog slaughterhouse carried several boxes of letters to a Raleigh post office Friday, saying more than half of their 5,000 co-workers are asking for a union vote.

"We're tired of being harassed," said Dorothy Walters, who said supporters of the United Food and Commercial Workers International union have repeatedly called her home and come to her door asking for her support.

The delivery was the latest public exchange between Smithfield Foods Inc. (nyse: SFD - news - people ) and the union, which has been trying to organize the plant for more than a decade. Union supporters have declined to hold a vote, saying Smithfield will not allow a fair election and should recognize card-check organizing, which forces companies to recognize a union if a majority of employees sign a card.

Union organizers questioned the circumstances of the meeting where employees signed cards asking for vote, saying the gathering was unfairly "coercive" and that much of it was conducted in sight of management.



Read more: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/13/ap3913155.html