Labor Day Down: Somali Presence At Tyson Leads To Holiday Swap

By Kleinheider Posted on August 2, 2008 at 7:31 pm

The blogosphere is one fire with the news out of Shelbyville that Tyson Foods has swamped out Labor Day for a holiday recognizing Eid al-Fitr out of respect for the significant Muslim Somali presence in their workforce. Below are samplings from the chatter.

Stop ACLU:

From an investment standpoint Tyson foods is sucking wind, having posted a 92% drop in profits due to rising feed costs. That would be why Claymore Advisors Llc dropped all of their Tyson stock.

Chris Wage:

THE SOMALIS ARE COMING!! NO ONE IS SAFE!! GUARD YOUR CHICKEN!!

Christy Frink:

When people qualify to enter the US with refugee status, they actually take out a loan from the government for their plane ticket to get here. They have four months to hang out before they have to start paying it back. As for everything else, they get a little bit of help with a lot of strings attached–within 10 days of being enrolled in the resettlement program, they’re required to meet with a case manager about actively looking for a job unless they’re under 18 and in school full-time. If they have kids at home, they find someone else to watch them. If they can’t speak English, they’re placed in English immersion courses. If they don’t have transportation, they take the bus. If they don’t meet the requirements or haven’t found a job in a couple of weeks, they’re cut off. And if they have found a job at, say, Tyson… they’re still cut off. The goal is self-sufficiency, not dependence.

Bear Creek Ledger:

There are plenty more examples of Somali’s forcing their culture on the rest of us. There’s the Somali Target cashier who refused to touch a package of pork in Mpls. Target of course bowed to political correctness and established a policy allowing a Muslim cashier to call in a replacement. The creeping Dhimmitude in the Twin Cities is well established. With Tyson importing Somali’s to work in their plants in Shelbyville expect the Somali population to expand quickly.

Six Meat Buffet:

On one hand I’m torn. A private business should be able to give everyone 365 days off a year if they want. On the other hand, replacing Labor Day for a holiday to placate the most violent, intolerant, misogynistic religion on the planet may not be the greatest idea. And while it shows a politically expedient gesture to their employees where the company has financially given up nothing, it may not play as well to their customers.

Sarcastro:

So they want to exchange one totalitarian based holiday for another. Big [expletive deleted] deal.

Matthew Hurtt:

This is a frightening example of incrementalism, the process by which groups achieve partial means to an ultimate end. For those who believe that the current fight in the Middle East is religious in nature, this concession by Tyson brings us one step closer to accepting Sharia Law as the law of the land in the U.S.

Memphis Mud:

But what about the non-union employees? They’ve effectively had a federal holiday taken from them at the expense of a religious holiday. Seems that could leave some a little upset, especially those of the non-faith persuasion. Should any decide to see a lawyer or three that could be fun to watch.

Tiny Cat Pants:

Though, if you want funny, just think on the outrage of these fine Conservative Americans pissing and moaning because Tyson won’t be celebrating Labor Day–which was a commie holiday to begin with.

GoldnI:

I don’t know about anyone else, but I look at this story and I see the true spirit of Labor Day come to life. The workers preferred to work on Labor Day and instead have a day off a month later. Through their union, they negotiated the change with the company. It may seem like a small change, but one that was extremely important for the workers. Isn’t having a strong enough union to be able to effect such changes what Labor Day is all about? I look at this and think that the founders of Labor Day would be proud.

Southern Beale:

One of the things I have always treasured about this country is that we are a safe haven, a beacon of hope, to those suffering in poverty and strife in other parts of the world. Not, apparently, in Tennessee.

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Tags: Eid al-Fitr, Islam, Labor Day, Muslim, Shelbyville, Somali, Tyson Foods  

Enjoying The Fruits Of Labor

By Kleinheider Posted on August 1, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Katie Allison Granju explains why Somali immigrants getting the day off from their jobs at Tyson on a Muslim holy day, rather than Labor Day, is a good thing:

[T]he holiday switch was apparently negotiated as part of a new collective bargaining agreement by Tyson’s labor union. So although these Somali immigrants may not actually celebrate Labor Day, they certainly are benefitting from the hard work and advocacy of the organized American labor movement - the movement that which Labor Day honors and recognizes.

Unlike a lot of the critics who will gnash their teeth and wail bitterly about what this holiday switcheroo represents for America, I suggest that it’s actually an example of America at its best.

SEE ALSO: David Melson

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Tags: Labor Day, Muslim, Tyson