For immediate release                                                                                 Contact: Leila McDowell (202) 728-1829

IMMIGRANT WORKERS HELP LAUNCH LANDMARK NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST NATION’S LARGEST PORK PROCESSING PLANT

Radio ads, supermarket initiatives, church services and rallies begin June 19-22 in seven of Smithfield’s retail markets.

"Smithfield products are packaged with abuse. There’s blood on that bacon" supporters say.

In a newly discovered sense of power, immigrant rights organizations have been joined by civil rights, faith, labor and student groups to launch a national consumer education campaign against Smithfield Packing, which employs approximately 5,500 workers at the world’s largest pork processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina. Workers at the plant have been trying to form a union with the United Food and Commercial Workers for ten years.

The Smithfield Justice campaign marks the first time such a widespread community based campaign has been used in an organizing effort with a major international union. It is the largest manufacturing organizing drive by any union in over a decade. It is also unusual in that it is in the south focusing on a workforce that is primarily immigrant and African American and could augur a more aggressive approach by labor in other organizing drives in the south.

Smithfield was found by the National Labor Relations Board, under both Democratic and Republican Administrations, to have violated labor law by assaulting, intimidating, threatening with deportation and unlawfully firing its workers. On May 5th the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upheld a board ruling ordering the company to cease and desist.

Two reports by the renowned organization Human Rights Watch documented widespread abuse and dangerous conditions for workers. Workers report being routinely fired after being injured and denied worker’s compensation. Counties surrounding the plant are rife with the walking wounded, former workers who have suffered crippling, permanent injuries and are unable to find new employment.

Richmond, Chicago, Atlanta, Raleigh, Washington DC, New York and Boston will hold kick off events beginning June 19th. “Its only the beginning, says supporter Reverend Grayland Hagler, President of Ministers for Racial, Social, Economic Justice, a coalition of over 600 congregations involved in the effort, "This is a chance to say no to a racist, anti immigrant company that feels they can terrorize workers at will. We are issuing a moral appeal to consumers and supermarkets to think twice about purchasing Smithfield products. We are telling people to say no to blood on their bacon."

For more information and interviews with workers, community leaders and union officials please contact Leila McDowell at 202 728 1829.