Sunday, September 21, 2008

JBS Swift: The pig is still in the poke.

Update 3:06 pm: Muslims decide they will NEGOTIATE with JBS Swift.

For 'negotiate' read 'threaten with legal action'.

About 100 workers met late Sunday morning at an apartment complex and selected representatives to take part in the talks. They're expected to meet this afternoon.

Muslim workers - most of Somali background - have been asking for accommodations with break times to allow prayer at sunset. The issue led to walkouts last week - not only from Muslims but from non-Muslims who protested such accommodations as preferential treatment.

Mohamed Rage of the Omaha Somali-American Community Organization says 180 to 200 Muslim workers have been fired as a result of the dispute. JBS Swift has confirmed 86 firings.


Well, it looks like the fired JBS Swift Muslims are going to meet to discuss what to do next.

Mohamed Rage, who leads the Omaha Somali-American Community Organization, said Saturday that workers at the JBS Swift & Co. plant wanted to hold another protest, but that he urged them not to. Instead, Rage said, all the Muslim workers — including those no longer with the company because of the dispute — will meet Sunday to talk about a resolution.

Stay tuned.

P.S. This headline over at the Omaha World Herald caught my eye, Muslims workers fired at JBS Swift, Cubans Hired. Unfortunately it leads to a completely different article with no mention of Cubans.