TIMELINE

1992- Smithfield builds the world's largest hog processing facility in Tar Heel, NC.

1994- Seeking a voice on the job, workers at Smithfield contact the UFCW. The first election campaign results in numerous charges filed against Smithfield for harassment, illegal surveillance, intimidation, threats, and coercion of workers.

1997- Workers at Smithfield hold another union election, which is lost by a small margin after widespread and egregious illegal union-busting activity by Smithfield.

1998- North Carolina becomes the second largest hog producer in the U.S., with Smithfield commanding almost 25% of the nationwide hog market.

2000- After numerous charges are filed from the 1997 election, NLRB administrative law judge finds Smithfield liable of using illegal threats, intimidation, and violence against workers. The judge rules that the 1997 union election was invalid, but Smithfield appeals.

2000- Human Rights Watch issues a report: Unfair Advantage: Workers' Freedom of Association in the United States under International Human Rights Standards. It describes how Smithfield intimidated, coerced, threatened, discriminated against and assaulted workers who supported union organizing.

2000-Smithfield Packing forms a Company Police Force and becomes the only meatpacking plant in the U.S. with its own sworn, certified police department. Under a North Carolina state law, these officers are allowed to carry guns at the plant and arrest workers on site.

2004- NLRB rules that Smithfield engaged in massive illegal activity during both 1990’s organizing campaigns and the 1997 election and orders extensive remedies. There were over 50 violations of the lwa.

2005- Human Rights Watch issues a second report: Blood, Sweat, and Fear: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants. The report details multiple violations of human rights standards in Tar Heel.

2005-After the union wages a widespread public pressure campaign, Smithfield disbands its company police force.

2006- Danny Priest, Smithfield's head of security, implicated in numerous accounts of worker abuse, announces he's running for Bladen County Sheriff. Priest is solidly defeated by incumbent Steve Bunn.

2006- NLRB rules that Smithfield’s cleaning contractor, QSI, unlawfully discharged 14 workers, assaulted workers, and along with Smithfield packing, threatened them with arrest by immigration authorities, and caused a worker to be falsely arrested for taking collective action at the Tar Heel plant following employee walkout.

2006- A federal appeals court affirms NLRB and rules that Smithfield Packing repeatedly broke the law in battling its Tar Heel workers' efforts to unionize during two campaigns in the mid to late 1990’s.

2006- Smithfield Foods Inc. announces it will purchase the European meats unit of Sara Lee Corp. for $575 million in cash. The acquisition would double international sales for Smithfield, the world's biggest pork processor.

2006- To expand its processed meats business, Virginia-based Smithfield Foods Inc. announces it will purchase ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods Company for $571 million in cash. Smithfield will take over the Armour, Butterball, Eckrich, Longmont, LunchMakers and Margherita brands, which represent a combined $1.8 billion in sales. With this acquisition, Smithfield becomes the largest turkey processor in the U.S.

2006- Smithfield Packing Co. announces it is scaling back its processed meats operations in Smithfield, VA. The company plans on moving the jobs from the union plant in Smithfield to its non-union plant in Tar Heel, N.C.

2006- Smithfield Foods names Michael Cole to be “Chief Legal Officer”, after it was revealed that Richard J.M. Poulson, who acted in the capacity of General Counsel for the Virginia-based company for the previous eight years, has not been a member of the Virginia State Bar since 2001. Following an investigation, the Virginia Bar Association concludes that Poulson had not violated state rules because he works primarily in New York and that if there were any evidence that Mr. Poulson was advising persons in Virginia, and was physically in Virginia when doing so, then the outcome might be different.

2006- NLRB issues two decisions finding that Smithfield engaged in massive violations against its Wilson plant employees who attempted to organize a union in 1999. Smithfield unlawfully fired 5 employees.

2006- Smithfield Foods Inc. announces plans to buy smaller rival Premium Standard Farms Inc. for $693 million in cash and stock to improve its hog production and processing abilities. If this acquisition is allowed to close, Smithfield would own nearly 20% of the hogs in the U.S. and would process 30% of the pork in the country.

2006- Legislators challenge Smithfield/Premium Standard Merger. Sen. Charles
Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) ask the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the proposed merger between pork processors Smithfield Foods and Premium Standard Farms violates antitrust laws.

2006- The U.S. Department of Justice begins an antitrust investigation on the proposed merger between Smithfield and Premium Standard Farms. After six months of investigation, in 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice approves Smithfield Foods’ plans to buy rival Premium Standard Farms despite consumers and farming and organizations’ concerns that the merger could hurt small hog farmers. The following day, Smithfield announces the final terms of its acquisition.

2006- More than 500 workers, mostly Latinos, walk out of Smithfield Packing, Inc. in Tar Heel, N.C. to protest against unfair labor screening process and management intimidation and abuse.

2006- A protest in 11 North Carolina cities against working conditions at Smithfield Packing urges the Harris Teeter grocery chain to drop Smithfield’s Tar Heel, NC  products until the company stops the mistreatment of its workers.

2006- Dozens of fifth graders from the Boston area join 200 protesters in a gathering outside Johnny Masters supermarket to lend their voices to the nationwide protest against stores carrying the  products of Smithfield Packing, Inc. in Tar Heel, NC.

2006- Smithfield and QSI appeal 2006 NLRB order regarding QSI employees to federal appeals court. While appeal is pending, QSI settles case with NLRB and pays back wages for firing its workers following their walkout. Smithfield continues appeal.

2007- Despite company threats of lay offs, hundreds of Tar Heel workers, mostly African Americans, walk out or do not report to work on Martin Luther King Day after Smithfield Packing refused to grant them a paid day off to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2007- U.S. Immigration officials arrest 21 workers inside the Smithfield plant in Tar Heel, N.C. on administrative immigration charges. This happened after Smithfield voluntarily joined the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers program (IMAGE) in July of 2006. Following the arrests, hundreds of workers walked off the job.

2007- Paula Deen, the southern celebrity chef, and Smithfield Foods enter into a partnership to mutually promote each other’s products. Under their agreement, Deen will promote Smithfield-branded products and Smithfield will use its promotional venues to market Deen’s signature products.

2007- Dozens of protesters gather at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to protest against Paula Deen’s Smithfield sponsored book tour. Many other protests at Paula Deen’s cooking shows and book tour events will follow throughout the country in Shereveport (LA), Portland (OR), Washington, DC, Albuquerque (NM), Louisville (KY), Chicago (IL), Freehold (NJ), Minneapolis (MN), Seatlle (WA), San Francisco and Chino (CA), culminating in a major rally on International Human Rights Day in front of Deen’s restaurant in her hometown of Savannah (GA). The different events received wide media coverage.

2007- U.S. Immigration officials arrest 8 workers inside the Smithfield plant in Tar Heel, N.C. The arrests, the second of the year, happen less than a week prior to the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting where hundreds of protesters are scheduled to protest the company’s mistreatment of its workers.

2007- More than 800 Justice@Smithfield supporters gather for a rally and march in Williamsburg, Va. at the Smithfield Foods’ Annual Shareholders’ meeting.

2007- The union agrees to meet with the company for talks about a fair election in Tar Heel, NC.
Smithfield refuses to refrain from using scare tactics to discourage workers from voting for a union, continues to show its new hires anti-union videos during orientation while talks with the union are happening and finally breaks off the talks.

2007- Two days after Smithfield breaks off talks, the company files a 100 page civil racketeering lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Va. against the union and several other defendants under the RICO (Racketeering, Influenced and Corrupt organizations) Act. The suit accuses the union of engaging in extortion and orchestrating a public smear campaign designed to hurt the company’s business.

2007- Federal appeals court let stand NLRB decision and order that Smithfield committed massive violations against its Wilson plant employees who attempted to organize a union in 1999.

2007- Federal appeals court reverses 2006 NLRB decision regarding Smithfield’s action toward QSI’s employees. Appeals Court holds employee walkout unprotected because it caused financial harm to Smithfield as a result of lost production.

2008- U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne turns away the Union’s efforts to dismiss Smithfield's lawsuit.