Smithfield Pork’s Got Problems
If Smithfield Foods, which I wrote about in an earlier post, rang a bell, it may be because the company has recently gotten some bad press for its troubled
Jul 31, 20201.2M Shares17M Views
If Smithfield Foods, which I wrote about in an earlier post, rang a bell, it may be because the company has recently gotten some bad press for its troubled labor relations. The problems are heating up with the company’s latest announcementthat it’s closing six plants and cutting 1,800 jobs.
In March, a local chapter of the Laborers International Union of North America filed labor chargesagainst Smithfield in Virginia, claiming the company has refused to bargain with the union as the company plans to close down one of its hometown plants and transfer some workers to other sites. LIUNA filed more charges in April.
This is hardly the first time Smithfield has had labor conflicts. In 2007, unions chargedthat Smithfield collaborated with immigration authorities who led an immigration raid at its huge North Carolina pork-packing plant. Union officials said Smithfield was trying to discourage its workers from organizing.
Still, nothing tops this 2006 Rolling Stone storyabout Smithfield, which claims that “America’s top pork producer churns out a sea of waste that has destroyed rivers, killed millions of fish and generated one of the largest fines in EPA history.”
As Rolling Stone put it: “Welcome to the dark side of the other white meat.”
If the suspicions about Smithfield’s pig wastebeing the source of the swine flu pandemic pan out, the company’s reputation may soon get even darker.
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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