WR - Eid Al-Fitr

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- Edge of the Hole (http://forums.webrats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34)

- - Eid Al-Fitr (http://forums.webrats.com/showthread.php?t=144856)

Well, if you work for Tyson Food in Tennessee, then you are hooked up!

Tyson food in Tennessee has given up Labor Day for the Muslim Holiday Eid Al-Fitr. And this is due to Union Negotiations with the RWDSU!!

Here is the SNOPES link
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/tyson.asp

Personally if the plant in question has that sizable a percentage of Muslims working there and they manage to get a holiday for this Eid Al-Fitr in their contract, more power to them.

Not sure I disagree with them not getting Labour Day as well, but I'm assuming that it's not a federally recognized statutory holiday south of the 49th parallel like it is in Canada, so I suppose it's Tyson's choice.

Being this is a union plant (BTW, I ain't union), I have to side with the union and employees having this holiday instead of the traditional labor day as a plant holiday. I side with the union because the union fought for a local facility and didn't stick to some national union agenda.

Local can be good. I didn't know there were this many Muslim folks in that part of Tennessee!

Good for Tyson. It's refreshing to see a large corporation that is in touch with it's employees.

What bothers me about this is the tone of the email shown on Snopes. The author seems genuinely shocked and offended that a Muslim holiday is being recognized by an American company.

How is a chicken company giving it's (mostly) Muslim employees the day off on a Muslim holiday "the beginning to removing more of the holidays and other symbols that made the United States of America the greatest country on earth."?

And moreover, why the hell should that make people "very careful whom they vote for in November"? I don't like how this implies that electing Obama will somehow be the kick off point into turning America into a fundamentalist Muslim country or handing it over to the terrorists on a silver platter.

It's short-sighted, ignorance prejudice like this that pisses me off sometimes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indigenous

Yeah, that's the ridiculous christian tards that think god only allows us to have this great country if we suck his cock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indigenous

How is a chicken company giving it's (mostly) Muslim employees the day off on a Muslim holiday "the beginning to removing more of the holidays and other symbols that made the United States of America the greatest country on earth."?

And moreover, why the hell should that make people "very careful whom they vote for in November"? I don't like how this implies that electing Obama will somehow be the kick off point into turning America into a fundamentalist Muslim country or handing it over to the terrorists on a silver platter.

It's short-sighted, ignorance prejudice like this that pisses me off sometimes.

Again, the traditionalists that cannot escape the fact that 1950 has come and gone, cannot get over their belief that if you don't agree with them you are wrong. I will be glad when that is no longer a factor, and religion is a non issue when it comes to the future of America.

Here we have situations where the moslems get moslem holidays and christians get christian holidays, Jews get thier day and athiests get nothing
this causes a shop to be able to be open every day
christmas, new year, EID and passover
we are always open
it helps the economy quite a lot
so ye
congratulations

Here's the story as per the Union and Tyson. Who cares what the day is as long as it's a paid holiday. My buddy worked for the Post Office. When they got Martin Luther's birthday off as a paid holiday, he noted he didn't care what new paid holiday the union got them. My last job was none union. One of my coworkers was a black muslim. They let him have any day off he wanted, black, muslim or whatever. They didn't care because he got it without pay.

Quote:

RWDSU Secures Both Labor Day and Eid Al-Fitr as Recognized Paid Holidays For Tyson Foods Workers (8/8/08)
Shelbyville, TN, August 8, 2008 -- The Retail, Wholesale and
Department Store Union (RWDSU) and Tyson Foods have reached an
agreement to increase the number of paid days off for workers in the
current calendar year to include Labor Day and the Muslim observance
Eid al-Fitr as paid holidays for workers in the Shelbyville poultry
processing plant. The agreement amends the existing contract
negotiated last year.

Beginning in calendar year 2009, a worker who does not observe Eid
al-Fitr will have the option of selecting another day as a paid
Personal Day at their discretion. The amended contract will be
extended throughout the life of the current labor agreement and will
recognize the following eight (8) paid holidays:

New Year's Day (January 1)

Martin Luther King's Birthday (as designated)

Memorial Day (as designated)

Independence Day (July 4th)

Labor Day (as designated)

Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November)

Christmas Day (December 25th)

EID AL-FITR OR PERSONAL HOLIDAY (UPON EMPLOYEE\'S REQUEST)

Members of the RWDSU overwhelmingly approved the new agreement on a
vote held Thursday, August 7.

"The union is pleased that the will of the workers in Shelbyville to
observe and celebrate Eid al-Fitr will be guaranteed as a paid
holiday," said Stuart Appelbaum, national president of the RWDSU.
"The RWDSU believes that this is an important sign of respect of
deeply held religious beliefs. This Labor Day, the workers at
Shelbyville have more reason that ever to be proud of being part of a
union."

The contract covers workers in Tyson's plant in Shelbyville, the
majority of whose employees are represented by the RWDSU.

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

RWDSU
http://rwdsu.info/en/archives/8/rwd...yson-foods-work

Tysons
http://www.tyson.com/Corporate/Pres...le.aspx?id=3021