Reflections

Muslim Holiday to Replace Labor Day for Tyson Foods

Posted by on Aug 7, 2008 | 3 Comments

Hey guys what do you think about this? Tyson foods has succumbed to demands by their 700 plus workers to make a Muslim holiday a paid one. This means that all the workers will lose Labor Day as a paid holiday.

Does it make sense to you that this group is getting a special holiday when the Jews, African Americans, Buddists, Hindis, Germans, etc. are losing one of theirs with nothing in return? It makes me wonder if this is not just the beginning of a Muslim insurgency that will ultimately take over not just one plant, but perhaps a city, then a state and in a hundred years the nation.

Be aware, however, I am not against this holiday being made a paid holiday my problem is that instead of adding it to the already existing holidays they are removing a Federal holiday that is for everyone to enjoy. Then, too, I think that if this holiday is allowed then special attention should be given to Passover, Octoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and Kwanzaa. No one company or municipality can discriminate against any race, religion or nationality and it appears here that Tyson foods is doing just that.

I am interested in hearing your reactions to this recently released info.

  • Rance Mohanitz

    Nobody is losing a paid holiday, they will just be taking it on a different day. If they don’t want to celebrate anything other than a day off (my favorite reason to celebrate), then so be it.

    I work at a place where we get 10 holidays off a year. We do not get every federal and state holiday off. If one is added, another one is dropped.

    I’m not saying that other religions shouldn’t be recognized similarly, but Christians get two, so evening things out a bit doesn’t hurt my feelings in the least. I suspect that it bothers you because you’re a Christian. I might be way off, but it smacks of this.

    I’m an atheist, anyway, so where’s my holiday? I kid. Not about the atheist part.

  • Ed Nicholson

    Labor Day Reinstated as Paid Holiday at Shelbyville, TN, Plant
    Tyson Foods Requested Change from Union

    Springdale, Arkansas – August 8, 2008 – Tyson Foods, Inc. announced today it has reached a new agreement with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), an American union, reinstating Labor Day as one of the designated paid holidays under the contract for covered employees in the Shelbyville, Tennessee, plant.

    Tyson made this request on behalf of its Shelbyville plant employees, some of whom had expressed concern about the new contract provisions relative to paid holidays. In an effort to be responsive, Tyson asked the union to reopen the contract to address the holiday issue, and the union agreed to do so. The union membership voted overwhelmingly Thursday to reinstate Labor Day as one of the plant’s paid holidays, while keeping Eid al-Fitr as an additional paid holiday for this year only. This means that in 2008 only, Shelbyville employees will have nine paid holidays.

    For the remainder of the five-year contract period, the eight paid holidays will include: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and a Personal Holiday, which could either be the employee’s birthday, Eid al-Fitr or another day requested and approved by their supervisor.

    This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, Tennessee. Labor Day has always been celebrated, and continues to be, at the other 118 Tyson plants across the country.

    The Shelbyville complex employs approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 1,000 workers are covered by the RWDSU union agreement at that location.

  • Dave

    If this is true, I will be boycotting Tyson foods! I am sure may other red-necked Americans will, too!