Smithfield Foods

Yesterday, in a first for the 5,000 workers at the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the employees or the Smithfield plant ratified a contract with Smithfield Foods granting the better benefits, pay increases and working conditions.

The Press Release from UFCW:

WORKERS AT WORLD'S LARGEST PORK PLANT RATIFY FIRST-EVER UNION CONTRACT

Deal raises Tar Heel workers’ wages and brings up benefits and working conditions to union standards

(TAR HEEL NC)—Five Thousand workers at the world’s largest pork processing plant have their first-ever union contract, after a majority of workers ratified the agreement over a two-day vote. Members of UFCW Local 1208 will join more than 10,000 other Smithfield workers, and more than 240,000 others who work in the meat packing and food processing industry who have a UFCW union contract.

The new contract includes:

If the building looks like it's been around for a while, that's because it has. Before it was purchased by Smithfield in 2001, this was the original Stadler's Country Ham facility built back in 1955. I'm sure many reading this have eaten said ham, but you probably have no idea how connected our community is (was) to this business. But by the end of the Summer, that connection will be forever severed.

Citing issues such as a drop in sales and high grain prices associated with food-based ethanol, Smithfield Foods is "restructuring":

Here's a rundown of the affected plants:

*
The Smithfield Packing Co. South facility in Smithfield, Va., is slated to close in December. Of 1,375 employees, 1,035 will be offered transfers.