RWDSU wins at Pilgrim's Pride Poultry in Alabama

13-06-2012

On June 7-8, 2012, 1,200 poultry workers at Pilgrim's Pride in Russellville, in the US state of Alabama voted overwhelmingly to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

This important organizing win came about despite major efforts by the company to undermine the workers' support for union representation. These included boycott threats to local businesses which were providing meeting rooms to RWDSU organizers.

For workers, the key issues were the lack of any grievance mechanism and the ability to participate in decisions affecting working conditions. With union representation, they will now be able to change their workplaces - and their lives - for the better.

Click here for the press release [1] and for the story and photos on the RWDSU website [2].

Pilgrim's Pride is the US poultry division of Brazilian beef and poultry giant JBS and is the largest chicken producer in the United States.

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; all stages of tobacco processing. The IUF is composed of 394 affiliated organizations in 126 countries representing a combined membership of around 2,6 million.

How to contact the IUF:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Rampe du Pont-Rouge, 8, CH-1213, Petit-Lancy (Switzerland)
Phone: + 41 22 793 22 33
Fax: + 41 22 793 22 38

Links:
[1] http://cms.iuf.org/sites/cms.iuf.org/files/RWDSU JBS Alabama press release.pdf
[2] http://www.rwdsu.info/en/archives/6/workers-win-rwdsu-representation-1200-pilgrim%E2%80%99s-pride-poultry-61112.html