Tyson drops Labor Day holiday for Eid al-Fitr

I live here in Shelbyville and I can tell you what I have heard from people that have worked at this factory and it was all the same story. I know you will say this is hearsay, but I'm sure if people were asked without having to give their names everyone would state the same. Now I don't know what the men do, but while using the bathroom several American women I have spoken to were in the stalls next to these Somalian women and had urine water thrown at them from their stall. When these American women complained about being hit with urine water they were told by sources that this is their way of living instead of wiping with toilet paper they finish urinating and then throw the water up at themselves to clean their areas. They were told to stop complaining and that we have to accept their way of life. Sanitation is not an issue for these people and I shudder every time I see a Tyson chicken wondering what is actually on it.

On top of this there are many Americans out of work here and those jobs could be filled by Americans that want a good decent job. I know of many high schoolers and college students looking for work that can't find a job. I know they would be more than happy to work at the plant, but Tyson doesn't seem to care about the Americans that live in this area. If you are lucky enough to obtain a position at the plant then you have to deal with these people that do not want to conform to the American way of life which first and foremost is cleanliness.

I also want to add that during visits to my post office here in town I see them sending their money overseas. Do you think they spend their money here to help our economy? No, it goes over to their country to help them. If Tyson hired Americans then those funds would be spent here in the US to help our economy grow, but instead they help the people that could care less about us. They blow us off (Americans) like we are nothing.

I cut Tyson out of my family's life a long time ago because of their practices. I won't buy Tyson chicken and I wouldn't accept it if it were free.

I just want to make a point here. It's not just the Tyson company. There are large amount of companies out there that are catering to non-Americans. Look at your produce and your meat? A lot of it comes from Mexico. What happened to our farmers? Where is the US produce and meat? They have taken our jobs, both here and overseas, and my suggestion is if you can live without a product or service then cut them out and find something that comes from the US or your immediate area because buying items from other countries will not help us keep our jobs.

To the person that stated that we are infidels and they want us all killed. I feel you are correct. They were dancing in the streets in N.J. and other areas when 9/11 happened. I know because I was suppose to fly out of N.J. that day and while I was leaving for the airport the first plane hit. These people were screaming how happy they were that those men succeeded and killed so many of us. People that heard and saw this going on stated they should be removed from the US and sent back to their countries, but was anything done? No. Americans need to wake up because those that want to do us harm are around us and in many neighborhoods. Now I'm not saying they are all this way, because there is good and bad in all, but there are many that would take us down in a blink of an eye.

In my opinion, Americans need to come together and make a stand. The problem is that no one really does anything to try to make things better. We all sit on our computers in the safety of our homes and talk about it when in all reality we should be out on the streets together complaining to our government. It's a shame that we as Americans don't stick together anymore because if we did we could most likely stop what is taking place in our country.

The same thing is happening at the Swift plant in Greeley,Colorado.The muslim employees walked off the job,made demands,and it was OK with Swift.Other employees of all races but Somali assembled,and were threatened with firing.Then the Somali workers trashed the lunchroom and injured a female employee.There are several articles at the link below,scroll through the local news here-

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20...

Do you think if we Americans went to their country,that we would get a new changed holiday off with pay.

Give me a break.. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Tyson will continue to do what ever the hell they want,when ever they want.Because theres no one in politics who gives a crap to change and make a difference.

Just stop buying their products. Then they won't have a factory to do all the crap they do and get away with it.

I think everyone needs to band together and have a anti-illegal imigrant rally at the courthouse.

If you would like to know what an infidel is, let me fill you in. If you are not Muslim, then you are an infidel. Depending what kind of infidel you are will determine the punishment you deserve. If you don't believe me, then read it all for yourselves. Me? I am a patriot, and I will not bow down to Islam. I do not want Islam in my country. Period.

-- Posted by Bob Johanse on Fri, Aug 8, 2008, at 7:06 PM

Isn't it funny you just described yourself when talking about Islam...

I am a journalist too. In my toolshed, along with my doctors degree, my law degree. Anyone can say something and point to a link. Anyone can be a member of Associated Content, which is not a part of the Associated Press. Really I am happy you want to be a part of this, but to argue with people over semantics gets no where fast. Write your article and when done, let us know. I am interested in reading it.

***************

Oh, and vandalyzed, don't come in here proclaiming you're a journalist unless you can post some credentials. As far as I can see, you're merely a silly blogger who pretends to be highly educated liberal with a big mouth and a large keyboard.

-- Posted by Bob Johanse on Thu, Aug 7, 2008, at 9:52 PM

***************

Please, Bob... If you are going to try to sound intelligent, there is no need for 100% plagiarism from other websites. And yes, I ran it through a plagiarism tool, so don't come back and deny it.

That is to say, the same plagiarism tool I run my articles through to both ensure that I don't infringe upon anyones work and that others haven't stolen mine.

As for whether I am a journalist or a big-mouthed blogger... Google me. Greg Wendland

-waits a few seconds-

Happy now?

I pretend nothing. Not only am I a credible person, but I'm an honest person.

It's ok, no need for you to feel foolish or anything, I understand that you like to type without thinking. No worries.

Actually you would have gotten away with attacking my credibility and integrity... this is the first time I've been back here since the last post I made. Only stepped back in because of needing to provide some information to the editor for the ARTICLE I'VE WRITTEN...

-blinks-

Oh, that's right.. forgot.. not a journalist.

How very unamerican!!!! In any relationship there is compromise so why not give employees a choice of which holiday they prefer. So what if on labor day the few have to carry a bigger load on one single day it is the price everyone has to pay to work together.

If America is going to be a big melting pot then we have to learn to accomodate both and not punish Americans. Lets be fair here.

To all the Muslims that don't feel welcome here in Shelbyville and feel like we are not welcoming you with welcome arms, there are job openings in a town that wants you there, read the link below.

http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromi...

What will they ask for next? Oh, I know, all the women in the plant must cover their entire bodies and only show their noses!! (First in the plant and then in the town) Outta' here!! In some of these muslim countries you can't even carry a cross, because they'd lynch you. You come to this country and you adapt to its ways, not the other way around. We don't go around trading National Holidays for holy days. Yes, we are a melting pot, but we line-up single file. No Tyson chicken in my house. I can make my own hamburgers at home so I won't have to stop at McDonalds or Burger King who are also supplied by Tyson. At least until they break off with them. KFC you'd better get another supplier too, because I won't buy from you either while your doing business with those who would probably sell their relatives to make a buck. Oh, and I will stick with it. I routed this at work and everyone is on board with the boycot. Tyson management, you have made the mistake of your life!! Perdue, you can crank-it-up a notch, and I won't mind paying a little bit more. The sacrifice will be worth the respect for our values, our culture and our whole way of life.

The figures have been muddied by various newspaper accounts but, from what I have been able to gather, the Tyson chicken operation in Shelbyville employs some 1,200 people and 1,000 of them are union workers. Of the workers, 250 are Somali Muslims, so, if 80% of union members voted for this agreement as the union has stated, that means that, assuming that all 250 Muslims are union members and voted for the Eid provision, something like 550 American workers knowingly and deliberately voted to replace their established, well known secular celebration of Labor Day with the Muslim religious celebration of Eid; perhaps to demonstrate their profound commitments to religious diversity and multiculturalism and their love for the Somalis.

I found this to be ludicrous on its face and just, frankly, unbelievable i.e. a lie.

So, just how many American union members who are not Muslims actually voted and what were they told they were voting on? Were they told or even aware that the contract contained this provision about Eid? I just can't imagine that if, say, they got to vote on a stand alone Eid provision, any of these American union members would vote for it.

So, what really happened here?

Oh, and vandalyzed, don't come in here proclaiming you're a journalist unless you can post some credentials. As far as I can see, you're merely a silly blogger who pretends to be highly educated liberal with a big mouth and a large keyboard.

-- Posted by Bob Johanse on Thu, Aug 7, 2008, at 9:52 PM

So what are you? A silly blogger who pretends to be slightly educated red neck with a big mouth and a ginormous keyboard? I mean really, what in the hell does that have to do with this conversation.

And all of the whiners about "prayer in school.." get over it, your kids and their teachers can pray all day long, they just can not force other students to pray with them... And I guarantee you the vast majority of you who piss and moan about not being able to pray never say your prayers before bed, and most certainly do not pray before your meals...

It is highly ironic that you complain you can't pray when all you have to do is shut up and pray...

@ Vandalyzed:

What about the Crusades?

The obvious response to this question is, "Well, what about them?" Violence committed in the name of other religions is logically unconnected to the question of whether Islam is violent. But, by mentioning the Crusades, the hope of the Islamic apologist is to draw attention away from Islamic violence and paint religions in general as morally equivalent.

In both the Western academia and media as well as in the Islamic world, the Crusades are viewed as wars of aggression fought by bloody-minded Christians against peaceful Muslims. While the Crusades were certainly bloody, they are more accurately understood as a belated Western response to centuries of jihad than as an unprovoked, unilateral attack. Muslim rule in the Holy Land began in the second half of the 7th century during the Arab wave of jihad with the conquests of Damascus and Jerusalem by the second "rightly-guided Caliph," Umar. After the initial bloody jihad, Christian and Jewish life there was tolerated within the strictures of the dhimma and the Muslim Arabs generally permitted Christians abroad to continue to make pilgrimage to their holy sites, a practice which proved lucrative for the Muslim state. In the 11th century, the relatively benign Arab administration of the Holy Land was replaced with that of Seljuk Turks, due to civil war in the Islamic Empire. Throughout the latter half of the 11th century, the Turks waged war against the Christian Byzantine Empire and pushed it back from its strongholds in Antioch and Anatolia (now Turkey). In 1071, Byzantine forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Manzikert in what is now Eastern Turkey. The Turks resumed the jihad in the Holy Land, abusing, robbing, enslaving, and killing Christians there and throughout Asia Minor. They threatened to cut off Christendom from its holiest site, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, rebuilt under Byzantine stewardship after it was destroyed by Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1009.

It was in this context of a renewed jihad in the Middle East that the Roman Pope, Urban II, issued a call in 1095 for Western Christians to come to the aid of their Eastern cousins (and seems to have harbored the hope of claiming Jerusalem for the Papacy after the Great Schism with Eastern Christianity in 1054). This "armed pilgrimage," in which numerous civilians as well as soldiers took part, would eventually become known years later as the First Crusade. The idea of a "crusade" as we now understand that term, i.e., a Christian "holy war," developed years later with the rise of such organizations as the Knights Templar that made "crusading" a way of life. It worth noting that the most ardent Crusaders, the Franks, were exactly those who had faced jihad and razzias for centuries along the Franco-Spanish border and knew better than most the horrors to which Muslims subjected Christians. At the time of the First Crusade, the populations of Asia Minor, Syria, and Palestine, though ruled by Muslims, were still overwhelmingly Christian. The "Crusading" campaigns of the Western Christian armies were justified at the time as a war liberating the Eastern Christians, whose population, lands, and culture had been devastated by centuries of jihad and dhimmitude. Conquering territory for God in the mode of jihad was an alien idea to Christianity and it should not be surprising that it eventually died out in the West and never gained ascendancy in the East.

Following the very bloody capture of Jerusalem in 1099 by the Latin armies and the establishment of the Crusader States in Edessa, Antioch, and Jerusalem, the Muslim and Christian forces fought a see-saw series of wars, in which both parties were guilty of the usual gamut of wartime immorality. Over time, even with reinforcing Crusades waged from Europe, the Crusader States, strung out on precarious lines of communication, slowly succumbed to superior Muslim power. In 1271, the last Christian citadel, Antioch, fell to the Muslims. No longer having to divert forces to subdue the Christian beachhead on the Eastern Mediterranean, the Muslims regrouped for a 400-year-long jihad against Southern and Eastern Europe, which twice reached as far as Vienna before it was halted. In geostrategic terms, the Crusades can be viewed as an attempt by the West to forestall its own destruction at the hands of Islamic jihad by carrying the fight to the enemy. It worked for a while.

Significantly, while the West has for some time now lamented the Crusades as mistaken, there has never been any mention from any serious Islamic authority of regret for the centuries and centuries of jihad and dhimmitude perpetrated against other societies. But this is hardly surprising: while religious violence contradicts the fundamentals of Christianity, religious violence is written into Islam's DNA.

Next question:

If Islam is violent, why are so many Muslims peaceful?

This question is a bit like asking, "If Christianity teaches humility, tolerance, and forgiveness, why are so many Christians arrogant, intolerant, and vindictive?" The answer in both cases is obvious: in any religion or ideology there will be many who profess, but do not practice, its tenets. Just as it is often easier for a Christian to hit back, play holier-than-thou, or disdain others, so it is often easier for a Muslim to stay at home rather than embark on jihad. Hypocrites are everywhere.

Furthermore, there are also people who do not really understand their own faith and so act outside of its prescribed boundaries. In Islam, there are likely many Muslims who do not really understand their religion thanks to the importance of reciting the Quran in Arabic but not having to understand it. It is the words and sounds of the Quran that attract Allah's merciful attention rather than Quranic knowledge on the part of the supplicant. Especially in the West, Muslims here are more likely to be attracted by Western ways (which explains why they are here) and less likely to act violently against the society to which they may have fled from an Islamic tyranny abroad.

However, in any given social context, as Islam takes greater root -- increasing numbers of followers, the construction of more mosques and "cultural centers," etc. -- the greater the likelihood that some number of its adherents will take its violent precepts seriously. This is the problem that the West faces today.

So um, stick that in your liberal pipe and smoke it... :p

Only the members of the UNION got to vote on this Holiday. If you were not a member of the Union you could not vote. You HAVE to sign up to be in the union to vote for or against the Holiday. And that itself does not seem fair to me. They said only the people in the union have to take the new holiday off instead of Labor day, and that people who are not in the union can still take Labor day off but they want get paid for it.

So my question would be, How many employees are union members and how many are not? This would let you know how many actually voted on this new change and how many did not get to vote.

And as far as the sanitary issue, Citizens have the right to know about the sanitary issues that are being spoken of with this company. We have a right to demand better sanitary conditions. I bought Tysons chicken in the past and still have some of it's products in my freezer, and if I find out this company is allowing this type of unhealthy acts to take place with its workers and the food they are selling and making a profit of, I will be seeking legal advice.

I have read all of this post and what they prove to me is that the American people are really angry! Yes, this country was formed by people for the people and when America was a developing country we needed more immigrants to come and help build it, and they came by the millions with all of their cultural differences and religion. That was they norm then and everyone some how melted in to make the most wonderful county in the world. Freedom is enticing and most humans desire it so millions more came and millions and millions keep coming for what we here have to offer. I would come too if I were not already here, what's not to love? Come to America, get a good paying job with benefits and people to fight for your right to have off on your religious holiday, your right to pray at work and get paid for it and you get your very own room to do it in. I myself think the Christians, Jews, Buddhist, Wicca's, etc., should also take that same time to share that room with the Muslims and pray or do chants or what ever their religions require of them to do. All the Muslims are doing is taking advantage of the freedoms we have for our citizens, why are we not taking the same advantages at work or where ever?

As for Tyson, if they indeed have cleanliness issues, they need to be investigated by the Federal Government since germs from such a large company can hurt millions of Americans.

What I would like to know is this, if there are 900 or 1,200 folks working at that plant, was there a vote taken by the Union from all workers there to see if everyone agrees? If there was and the majority voted to allow this holiday then everyone should shut up, if not and the Union did not take into consideration the needs and desires of the Majority well then that is another story. As far as those immigrants being rude well folks have to say this, speak up and tell them that they are rude and it is unacceptable behavior here.

If you are angry well then, you are also afraid since anger stems from fear. Be strong and unafraid, stand up with your voices, votes and legal avenues and change what you don't like, isn't that what the Muslims did? If you don't do the above, shut up and learn to live with what will happen.

As a former resident of Shelbyville and having worked at this establishment, I would like to (calmly I hope) add my 2 cents worth.

First of all the management at Tyson Foods at Shelbyville doesn't make a move of ANY kind without say-so from the corporate office. This goes for any kind of management decision. This establishment bends over backwards to make things difficult for any non-alien employee, (meaning illegal Hispanic workers, Somalis, whatever, take your pick) so the other workers(white, black, asian) will leave the plant and make it easier for the company to do whatever they please. The sanitation issues (or lack thereof) are real. Question-why does a major news outfit CNN, CBS, NBC whoever, not do a documentary on the claims? The USDA can only do so much with the P.C. croud at this particular plant.

As for religion, everyone in this blog, however well meaning or not, is wrong. This country was stolen from the rightful inhabitants who were murdered wholesale because they wanted to have their country for themselves (beginning to sound familiar?) The inhabitants I am refering to are Souix, Apachies, Algonquin, Huron, Cherokee, and so on.

If anyone out there believes that foreigners, illegal or otherwise will not screw up this country, take a look at the not so distant past and learn. this plant had a very heavy influx of illegal Hispanics (not all Mexican, Hispanics of many nations) 10 years ago, even they are leaving due to the pressure from the Somalis. The Somalis (the ones in and around Shelbyville) are some of the most rude people I have ever had the misfortune to be around. they will force their way into lines at any store you would care to mention. I have yet to meet one who doesn't act like the world owed them something. I have yet to meet one who has even a hint of had a bath in the last year or so.

I was born and raised in this country and served in the military for 28 years. This is NOT what I served for. If you want to have things the way they are in the country you left, go back there and pray. I'm sure who ever is in power there will accomodate you, just before they cut off your head.

This is AMERICA. Be American or be gone-back to wherever you came from.

I posted this last night but it disappeared.

Wow, have we got a forum!

What I really want to know is: is anybody reading what I am writing? Or are we all just making "noise"...

I have to say, we are a hot-headed group!

Percentage wise it looks like many contributors have the gut reaction to DO something (boycott Tyson's products) in response to the news that Tyson has Muslim employees taking advantage of our American way of kindness and consideration of others.

The wrong is not in the American manners, but in the apparent inability to see clearly what is really happening. We are being eroded from within.

My point is to look at the root of the problem. We have overcompensated for oppressing/abusing the Black population (through hideous slavery practices) which has in turn created a certain depravity in their culture (am I wrong?). I am a Yankee, don't "shoot" me.

Now our passion for overcompensating for the perceived wrong of being wary of the Muslim population (inverted prejudice) will instead lead to a more dangerous condition in their culture and ours, namely, dominance over Americans.

Within the Muslim culture there is the faction that adheres to violence as a way of "life". Osama bin Laden told us that Americans love life, but Muslims love death. They plan violence, and planned violence could define the word terrorism.

The current MO of the Muslim movement in America and elsewhere is to "build a city within a city and then take over the city". (Spoken by an Imam in Albany, NY)

My plan is to use the opportunity to win their hearts to Christ.

Last year I met a man in the waiting room who said(in broken english)that he was Muslim. I scooted over and asked him "Do you really beat your wives?" (Either he could not understand or couldn't answer). When I told him Allah and our God are NOT the same God, he looked like he had heard good news. Yes, there is hope for Muslims to be free.

In conclusion, if the American way is the Christian way, and it is, then I maintain that prayer AND tough-love (Godly love) IS the correct response to Tyson's news and other unsettling stories.

We all seem to want to be heard. Why else do we send our comments? Praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Jesus) is the best way to be heard. Our effective, fervent prayers WILL touch the heavens, and we will be heard by the One who is awaiting our cries for help.

Turbulence is everywhere in America, as seen in many of the comments below. Tough love is saying NO to ridiculous requests for paid Muslim holidays. When things don't improve but DO get worse, we will all be praying anyway, so start now!

I am sure I have missed the mark somewhere, so forgive me.

I believe that we need to pray more than anything. God sees our plight, but He will only move when we give him the go ahead! So, go ahead! Repent and pray: they go hand in hand!

I refuse to by Tysons food, because of the "HYGEINE ISSUE". I had a cousin that worked their who told me they wipe their rear-ends with their hands and they always take a cup of water in with them when they go, and they will not use soap to wash their hands. Now I would like an investigation done on the hygiene issue. As far as the holiday issue, Let the Americans have Labor Day as their 8th "Paid Holiday" and the Muslims have this new holiday as their 8th "Paid Holiday" and be done with it.

I also feel their is discrimination issues in hiring employees. How is it their are so many somalis from another country being hired to work their, and their are no help wanted ads from this company hardly ever seen in the paper? How come the Union is not fighting for better pay for the workers (Somalis, mexicans, and others) Their is alot of un-normal talks about this company dating back to the hiring of illegal immigrants. If it is that "Crooked in its dealings and business" then I wouldn't doubt they allowed this type of unsanitary dealings to go on.

van,

Dude you know what you write your article all you want you do your research @ your fingertips. I'm sorry if I don't meet up to your expectations, I've lived in this town all my life so yes excuse me if I come off a little angry. You want to get on here & slam someone for standing up for what is right YES right now it is LABOR DAY-- so dude tell me what's next CHRISTMAS umm maybe let's see THANKSGIVING-- OH wait--maybe MEMORIAL DAY--you want to call someone IGNORANT i am not ignorant you my friend you would fill those shoes..

****

I read some of your posts to you, we are an embarrassment. People maybe laughing @ us & joking about this little town in TN, but you know what I wouldn't laugh too soon.

****

"Justwonderin" -- At what point did I state that you, or anyone down in Bedford County, was an embarrassment? At what point did I attack anyone individually and have the audacity to assume that I knew something about them?

Your comments are ignorant and filled with hate and anger. That is all there is to it. Your comments are ignorant because you turn your anger towards anyone that does not think like you do and start to talk AT them as if you know them and their motivations.

You so "graciously" concede that this issue is about Labor Day, and the Union, but then continue on to make the issue bigger and broader.

I have seen no post, pro or con, that shows anyone laughing at you or "that little town in TN". I think you're lack of control is starting to show that you're not paying attention to what people are saying.

There is not one single post on here, pro or con, that actually AGREES with the replacement of Labor Day as a paid holiday. Merely, people that are not preaching hate, boycott, and fear are just saying... "Dude, they negotiated a contract for a single plant and you're turning it into an Islamic Crusade against Americans".

I, personally, never stated that I agreed with it. I only said that in the context of the contract, employees had a their choice of 8 paid holidays. So what?... they did something different. Bravo!

Do I think Pandoras Box has been opened up? Hell yeah, I do. This is going to cause problems down the line. But NOT because of some Muslim Invasion or destruction of American Life. The problems down the line will become the fact that this sets a precedent for future religious discrimination. Plain and Simple.

What I find very interesting is that this contract was negotiated almost a year ago. And the news is just coming out now?

Anyone want to take guesses as to why? I'm pretty sure I can take a stab and hit almost dead center.

I'm also a bit irritated that I complete an article concerning this situation, and now today, Mr. Brian Mosely has written another article discussing Tysons reaction to the feedback. And within that article are things I mentioned in my posts. Things not brought up before... Rather his article remained so ambiguously neutral that it created this kind of public reaction.

My guess... Intentionally.

On another site I ran across while researching the next article (thanks to "Can't Stand It"), I found someone that has been following this situation, and more importantly, Brian Mosely.

All I can say is that it's no wonder y'all are so inflamed down there. Mr. Moselys articles have an inflammatory bent to them towards the Somalis.

My article is still going to publication, but this next one I'm keeping close to my hat this time.

All I can say is Good Luck to you folks in Bedford County. I can understand, sincerely, why you're all upset and angry. But, you're letting that anger cause you to lash out at people that have no quarrel with you.

Just remember, when you start drawing lines between country folk, city folk, Northern, Southern, Christian, Muslime, Insider, Outsider... We don't have to fear anyone else... They'll all be sitting in their own countries waiting for us to finish each other off.

Take Care, Bedford County

Thank God I don't buy Tyson Products!!!

OH, by the way where is the prayer room for the christian employees?

Tyson closed 2 plant's in Nebraska due to TB brought in by Somali Refugees.

http://cjonline.com/stories/112507/kan_2......

OSHA 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

Tyson closed 2 plant's in Nebraska due to TB brought in by Somali Refugees.

http://cjonline.com/stories/112507/kan_2......

OSHA 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

**Our country wasn't founded on ISLAM' BUDHA' THE KORAN' it was founded on the LORD JESUS CHRIST on CHRISTIANITY' the only one I will ever acknowledge as my lord & savior.**

This statement is inaccurate. This country was not founded on Jesus Christ or Christianity. This country was founded by Masons and based on the principles of Masons.

If you don't believe that, then I invite you research it. I won't engage in a religious discussion for quite a few reasons. It only leads to arguments. Religious faithful will never believe anything except what they have been taught to believe. Early on in my studies of world religions, I used to engage in debate. Then I realized it was futile. Nothing ever got solved and it only created more discord.

I will say this, though, for the self-righteous people. There are 3 Abrahamic religions. The original 3. As far as the "One True Religion"... Neither Christianity nor Islam are it.

Islam is hated and feared for the words in the Koran and the acceptable violence. Yet, the rise of Christianity marks some of the darkest times of human history. "Who will cast the first stone?"

Vandalyzed:

Costs of labor information: Department of labor:

State of Tenn - assistance for business programs, subsised labor costs for at-risk labor groups

both on Dept of labor pages state and federal.

Foreclosure info: county court house for house count and names of owners: Federal Foreclosure site on FHA page list of foreclosure numbers

Census bureau for demographics.

Word is the local S'ville plant projects near 900 more workers and they are trying to standardize around a muslim model to attract Somalis from other chicken plants in Atlanta. Somali are loose and wander around, like herding cats. They get the word out by word of mouth. No one will work there, even Mexicans anymore because of the terrible atmosphere created by the Somalis. Except for the re-habbers that are forced to work there, by contract, or they will be in jail. Re-habbers are another source of slave labor. They are subsidized too. This whole thing is a massive scam. If you research into it, it will blow your mind.

Since Michiginers are moving to TN by the hour to work at Nissan, you might want to hitch a ride and see Bedford County for yourself. Sit in any mexican restaurant and get the skinny on what is going on in Tyson. And I can point you to a few other places. I have the word out for a bounty to get a picture of the fingercup. That source is plentiful since I heard that many times and witnessed it in the Walm-mart bathrooms. I won't shop in my local store anymore. I don't care if these people come from Mars. We as Americans have been tolerant to anybody up and down. But we have as a nation have spent years and billions on hygiene, clean water, clean food, safety, all to be wiped out in the last 5 years since this dramatic insurgence of immigration. To have this much immigration in percentage dumped on one county of 35,000 with NO FEDERAL assistance is worth your article alone. Had I known what was going to happen here, I would have not moved my horses and my retirement and my money here.

Bedford county needs new leadership. They need to saw off the area around Tyson and form a new county or get Tyson out.

THEY think "bigotry" is why so many people are upset ... well lets reflect the the day which is fast approaching its anniversary SEPTEMBER 11, 2001... I know you should FORGIVE thats what GOD wants us to do.. BUT we SHALL never FORGET.. I am sorry to those of you who feel that us as "CHRISTIANS" are not sympathetic.. BUT that has been our problem for WAYYY to long. I am thinking that they were rejoicing the day so MANY people lost their lives. we've got guys losing there lives for OUR country to make our world a better place to live & they want to call it "BIGOTRY" well as far as I am concerned that rocks me to the bone.. Our country wasn't founded on ISLAM' BUDHA' THE KORAN' it was founded on the LORD JESUS CHRIST on CHRISTIANITY' the only one I will ever acknowledge as my lord & savior.

Yes I can sit here & type this because we have been given that right! I surely do understand that these folks want to have their own place to "WORSHIP" but I am sorry THEY are not going to shove it down my throat, OR my CHILDREN.. as they don't care one eye blink about our LORD & SAVIOR..or about US.. I know that this is one place, but what do you think they do to our FOOD, that we put in our mouths...if the codes are so strict on RESTARAUNTS. why hasn't the state shut them DOWN!!

yes to the folks who say why don't CHRISTIANS take their breaks & pray.. THAT's between them & GOD..

That's allot of peoples problems because he doesn't do this & he's supposed to be a CHRISTIAN...But if Jack & Jill would just worry about themselves then their you go. Their would be no "well he's not doing this".. Because I believe this with my whole heart & SOLE that one day "EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW & EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD & SAVIOR" whether you are atheist, buddha, whoever you are one day it will happen.. We aren't perfect, but we are forgiven.So there yes I am one person, but I have to small souls that I have to think about & it's just going to get worse it says so in the BIBLE & like I said I believe that, but while I can I will stand up for what I believe whether it be typing out this, or not supporting a company who supports EVIL!! & that my friends is all this so CALLED RELIGION is .... THANKS & HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!

"The union also claimed that in addition to the observance of the Muslim holiday, "two prayer rooms have been created to allow Muslim workers to pray twice a day and return to work without leaving the plant."

Is there a prayer room for Christians? Jews? Hindu's? All the other faiths? This is BS and we are letting it happen while we stand by and watch. The only way to fight this is to avoid the products. Tyson might get the hint if profits shrink.

My family has purchased the last Tyson product. One of the most appalling acts ever.

I am on board with most of the comments posted.

Here's the employment law view of Tyson's decision.

http://hrheroblogs.com/theword/2008/08/0...

Tyson,your done here in the U.S. !! I can not believe your decisions,where is your CEO`s thoughts at anyway ? Course you are not the only company out there doing Anti-American antics. We (all real-roots AMERICANS)will ban Tyson products forever,garbage food anyway, so no big deal. To all of you that are employed by Tyson...DID any of you lose a loved one @ 911 Twin Towers ? No, you all should be ashamed, We all NEED to pray to GOD, yes The God that most of us in the U.S.A. are pushing away. America...WHERE is your BRAINS, Lots of dummies out there voting for a "CHANGE" yea, go ahead vote Barack Huessine Mohammed Obama,Huh...Think of what this all means,HELLO !!

Staying on topic, I have to say, we are a hot-headed group! Percentage wise it looks like many contributors have the gut reaction to DO something (boycott Tyson's products) in response to the news that Tyson has Muslim employees taking advantage of our American way of kindness and consideration of others. The wrong is not in the American manners, but in the apparent inability to see clearly what is really happening. We are being eroded from within. However, getting a perspective (looking at the big picture), I will offer that hot-headedness often results in bad behavior. Off topic, I refer to the recent protests in South Korea getting out of hand. They got violent when they saw they were beginning to lose ground. (Here is where a link should go to the article I read). As far as I know, violence kicks in when frustration is up and restraint is down. (Violence being unplanned attacks. War is therefore not violence, but offense and defense.) That was off topic by a couple of blocks. My point is to look at the root of the problem. We have overcompensated for oppressing/abusing the Black population (through hideous slavery practices) which has in turn created a certain depravity in their culture (am I wrong?). I am a Yankee, don't "shoot" me. This overcompensation for the perceived wrong of being wary of the Muslim population (inverted prejudice) will instead lead to a more dangerous condition in their culture, namely dominance over Americans. Within the Muslim culture there is the faction that adheres to violence, not necessarily as a result of frustration and lack of restraint but as a way of "life". Osama bin Laden told us that Americans love life, but Muslims love death. They plan violence, and planned violence could define the word terrorism. The current MO of the Muslim movement in America and elsewhere is to "build a city within a city and then take over the city". My plan is to use the opportunity to win their hearts to Christ. Last year, when I met a man in the waiting room who said(in broken english) he was Muslim, I scooted over and asked him "Do you really beat your wives?" When I told him Allah and our God are NOT the same God, he looked like he had heard good news. Yes, there is hope for Muslims to be free. In conclusion, if the American way is the Christian way, and it is, then I maintain that prayer AND tough-love (Godly love) IS the correct response to Tyson's news and other unsettling stories. We all seem to want to be heard. Why else do we send our comments? Praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Jesus) is the best way to be heard. Our effective, fervent prayers WILL touch the heavens, and we will be heard by the One who is awaiting our cries for help. Turbulence is everywhere in America, as mentioned in many of the comments below. Tough love is saying NO to ridiculous requests for paid Muslim holidays. When things don't improve but DO get worse, we will all be praying anyway, so start now! I am sure I have missed the mark somewhere, so forgive me. But I do believe that we need to pray more than anything. God sees our plight, but He will only move when we give him the go ahead! So, go ahead! Repent and pray: they go hand in hand! And also, do DO something. I just put a bunch of Tyson chicken in my freezer, should we eat it and then not buy anymore? (or should I return it?) I'm getting an old fashioned hen-house for my backyard! Stop by for some good, fresh brown eggs, and next year for the old-hen stew...it IS the best (sweetest)! Actually, it's the old roosters that make the good soup. At least that off topic comment was about chicken:)

This is unreal!!! I urge everyone to boycott Tyson products (which are horrible anyway...full of preservatives and fillers). Wake up America....we are being taken over by these creeps. I'm so glad that I was able to spend the best years of my life in the 60's 70's and 80's...i.e. before America began its decline. I feel so sorry for today's children.

There are so many religious groups in this country - Hindus, Catholics, Jews - and no one practicing those religions seems to need their company to alter the rules for these folks. They take one of their vacation days or a personal day to follow their special traditions. Only the Moslems seem to demand exceptions, and they do it in every country they immigrate to. Look what is happening in Europe, especially Denmark. And that is what they are going to do in the US of A. What the Moslems have done to Tyson and the Tyson union they will do as their population grows in other companies, and towns, and eventually states. Shame on Tyson. Shame on the union. And shame on anyone else that fails to see what the Moslems are going to do in the rest of this country given half a chance. Please don't let us lose our unique American character.

Just because someone doesn't see things your way does not make you right.

-- Posted by misspris on Tue, Aug 5, 2008, at 9:32 PM

The same could be said for you...

Hell's Bells! What else? Now we've got to have Catholic Day, Baptist Day, Pentecost Day, Methodist Day, LDS Day- you get my drift. You're stirring it up for sure. Just stick them all on Christmas Day- oops! (Can't even say that) & unite for your king- whoever that may be- How about Baracka Day? Geez!

Yes, 80% of union membership voted for this contract, but bear in mind that the change of holiday was NOT the only thing they were voting for. That was a concession for 20% of the union - and bear in mind that this affects non-union workers as well.

I would be upset if I worked there. It will be confusing to all the non-Muslims (trying to figure out when their holiday will be and planning ahead since even Muslims cannot decide far in advance when the end of Ramadan will be).

Furthermore, it disrupts a long-standing American tradition of a 3-day holiday.

You can't tell me 600 other union workers actually supported this holiday change.

Also, the idea of allowing employees to take one or the other of the 2 holidays is not practical because there is overhead in opening the plant and having 80% (correction - 83% - don't forget the non-union workers) of your workforce out on Labor Day might not even be possible.

We should really ask ourselves why our immigration policies are so friendly towards certain other nations.

Things are tough all over the world, but we cannot simply take everyone.

I do not know if anyone mention this but The Somalis do not use toilet paper, just a litlle rinse. Can we say Health Problems???? Also Tyson sells their chicken to KFC.

What ever happened to them just using thir prayer beads, now they need prayer rooms, foot baths, Holidays etc.....

OK I didnt read all the comments since there are way too many, so perhaps someone has already suggested my idea. To be less divisive, why not just change the agreement a little bit to make both Labor Day and Eid al-fitr a paid holiday, with the stipulation that the employee can choose either one (but not both) at their discretion. In this way, both interested parties are satisfied. If an employee desires to take both holidays, fine, but one of them will not be a paid day. Simple solution? I think so. And a good way to show support to a major portion of the employees.

Just happened to run across this web site looking at article on the holiday. After reading the comments, it is easy to see how a certain German dictatorship was able to eradicate the Jews. They just played to the prejudices of people like you.

As a long time butcher I have already been told by several of my customers that they are are done with Tyson products. I will do my best to steer them away from this pitiful excuse for an AMERICAN company. My Grandfather was French, should I petition my union to have Bastille Day off? Hell NO, I am not a French American, i am an AMERICAN. When my Grandfather came here he did not expect everyone to speak french or celebrate French holidays, he did not fly the French flag from his home. He was proud to be from France but now his loyalty was with AMERICA. This makes me sick. Our Country is being eaten alive from the inside out and nobody cares.

No.1 I dont under stand when this contract was brought to the rank and file how was it ratified (2/3 or 50%) of the membership? no2 If Tyson chicken needed these people so bad why dont they relocate to somila,like some of the other companys do. no3 Totally disgusted,and thru with Tyson chicken,never again will i purchase ,and eat chicken at restaurant that serves your somailan,no handwashed,foot bath//// Your P.C. is totally out of control,good luck and goodbye

Well if your stupid enough to give the muslims a holiday then you can keep your damn chicken I will no longer buy tyson products.You people better remember there are americans that could use thoes jibs you gave to the damn muslims shame on you TYSON for doing this & I hope tyson goes belly up over what you have done.You people must have forgotton it was muslims that did 9-11 you have the nerve to have muslims at your plant.I'll never buy your products again

The comment (Can't stand it) posted pretty well covers it all, people who dont live here have no idea!

I cant take my teenage girls to Wal-Mart without the Somalian men and I mean MEN gawking at all of us like perverts. Let me go to Wal-Mart on a bad day and everyone will know my real name, it will be listed on the jail intake!

Another reason to Boycot Tyson:

Workers told me the Somalis refuse to use toilet paper at Tyson. Tyson allows them to use cups filled with hot water to dip thier hands in after they make a bowel movement, then go back to cutting chickens. It is not uncommon to see them walking around with thier "fingercups" around the plant. Talk about YUM brands.

People, e-mail Yum brands, (KFC) louisville, wal-mart, and Kroger and let them know you refuse to buy thier products if it packaged by Tyson.

GET TYSON OUT OF BEDFORD COUNTY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Posted by Can't stand it on Tue, Aug 5, 2008, at 2:26 PM

My daughter told me the Somalians also wash their feet in the commodes. Some nationality maybe not the Somalians also bring in whole dead fish and cut them up, mix them in a large bowl with something else and eat this, several eating out of the same bowl with their hands. The same hands that go back to handle chicken.

Tyson Corporate Core Values lists "We strive to honor God and be respectful of each other, our

customers, and other stakeholders." I guess they'll be replacing God with Allah soon.

We will never buy Tyson products again.

Is this what we (the USA) have come to? God help us!

The only thing companies understand is $$$$$. First of all call 1-800-643-3410 (consumer relations) and tell them you are finished with Tyson Foods and their products. They made a point to tell me that they will still have a Labor Day holiday. I told them they just do not understand that this is America, not the Middle East - we are not a MUSLIM nation. Next, go to their website to Investor Relations and let them know that if you or any of your friends own stock that that stock will be sold asap.

Can't Stand It -- Thank you for your post. It's information like this that leads to discovering facts and implemeting change.

You're right, I am unfamiliar with the county. I do not work there and I do not live there. However, if I may make a small note, you are the first person to describe the situation within the plant, and county, without having an emotional outburst based on nothing but inner expression.

I have a couple questions. How much is based in fact? I don't meant that insultingly. I just need to know if I can find proper research.

Secondly, you say that Tyson Foods, or at least that plant is trying to attract more Somalians. Are they making a public effort, as a company, to attract these people? Or is this more related to the Somalian relief project based in Nashville? In other words, are they accepting more Somalians based on tax incentives due to that project?

Folks, let me explain something. I'm American, and prideful of it. I live in Michigan. Nearby is a city, Dearborn, that is the largest Arab population outside of the middle-east. The entire city was on lockdown after 9-11. I have seen firsthand prejudiced and bigotry. I have seen first hand unwarranted accusations to a foreign people that SOME DO actualy want to have the same pride in calling themselves Americans. While others, sneer at "American Fools" and continue to take advantage of our "generosity" in accomodating them in our country.

The only way to BE Americans is to respect and enforce the beliefs and laws that make us Americans. But, we can't do that without understanding what IS happening and what we perceive to be happening.

Another personal note: I don't buy Tyson Chicken. Never have. No particular reason, I just don't. So, my statements regarding the company are not out of a misguided need to defend their product.

Anyway, if you have pertinent and factual information that can easily be checked and verified, I welcome you to write to me personally, so that I can write an article that is factual and best shows the situation with this plant in Shelbyville.

I am not anyones enemy here, but as a journalist, I cannot stand biased and one-sided news reports that does not aptly show the truth.

You can reach me at vandalyzed@hotmail.com

I will block and ignore any communication that is not factual and aimed only to create discord.

Thank you.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

�

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Shame, shame on all Americans? who were in involved in this. I believe that all concern should be fired, Americans (true Americans) placed in these jobs. That special treatment is given to this group makes me sick.

Bottom line, like it or not this is a CHRISTIAN nation and IF they do not like the way it is then by all means LEAVE. We (Christians) need to follow up every time something like this happens, VOTE with your dollars.

Tyson is no longer a brand that I will purchase.

If you think this is bad, wait until the media messiah, Barack Hussain Obama, become President.( God forbid) After he gets done swearing in on the Koran or whatever he uses, his Muslim relatives (all of his fathers side) will try to change our ways thru "Sharia law".

Our American way of life is being replaced by 3rd world customs and people. Save America!

This country was founded on Judeo-Christian values.

Keep it that way!

Muslims belong in their own world and country...not here!!!!!

iheartseinfeld -- As I pointed out in one of my comments, Tyson Foods has been showing that respect to their employees long before this incident came up.

How can an accusation be made, if you do not know what a company has or has not done?

Dianatn -- Good Question. But, I ask you this: If they choose not to take the paid holiday of Christmas, does that really affect people like you and I?

If you were working at that plant, would you refuse to take the day off, paid, just because you don't honor or respect the holiday? Personally, I neither honor or respect it and I would take the day off gladly. Knowing that I get paid to stay home and do something with my kids.

Honestly, Labor Day? If most of you folks work at companies that give you Labor Day off, with pay, then I think that is great. But in 22 years of working, I have never been employed with a company that gave Labor Day off with pay. I've worked for companies that closed on Labor Day, but no pay. And, as I mentioned before, I have always gotten to celebrate Labor Day, by working!

Welcome to the Jihad. You are now on the frontlines of the "peaceful" Jihad that militant Muslims are waging all over the West and in America by stridently demanding evermore increasing and expanding "accommodations" to their ways of doing things, their customs and beliefs and the dictates of Shari'a law; these demands are the more "peaceful" but perhaps ultimately more subversive and destructive counterpart to violent Jihad, both always with the same aim: the domination and triumph of Islam over all unbelievers--their religions, customs and civilizations--the central goal called for by Muhammad and the Qur'an.

As Muslims expand their numbers and, thus, their political and economic power, their leaders will use every tool that a democracy such as ours gives them--legal, economic, political, cultural--to work toward the dominance and triumph of Islam and naive, politically correct, soft and clueless Americans will fall all over themselves to make such self-destructive "accommodations."

First, it was Somali cab drivers at the Minneapolis airport who were unwilling to carry blind passengers accompanied by service dogs (Muhammad hated pets, particularly dogs) or passengers with alcohol (which is forbidden by the Qur'an); so far, Minneapolis airport authorities have said these cabbies will carry all passengers or be fired. In Minnesota and other places throughout the U.S., more recently, it was Muslim calls for the installation of ritual foot washing facilities (Wudu) and separate, private prayer rooms at certain airports and at several universities--all clearly religious accommodations; the relevant authorities at some places have complied at public expense, using the excuse that these "accommodations" were for the Muslim's safety or were a gesture of religious tolerance (not mentioning that non-Muslims are not welcome in Muslim prayer rooms (see Northern Virginia's George Mason University as an example of how this goes at: http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/ar....

Most recently there have been Muslim demands for closure of university or other swimming pools to all but Muslim women at certain times; Harvard has already agreed to this. Just within the last few weeks some Muslim leaders are calling for the creation and acceptance of financial instruments and ways of doing business that conform to the demands of Shari'a law.

Tyson, by dumping our traditional secular celebration of Labor Day in favor of the celebration of the Muslim religious holiday of Eid, is clearly making an illegal "religious accommodation," however they want to disguise it. Tyson and its non-Muslim workers have been steamrollered by the "peaceful" Jihad and they don't even know it. If we give up more and more of our traditions and ways of doing things and allow Muslim ideas, customs, standards and laws to prevail, we will wake up one morning to find that--as Muslims fervently hope--it is their country, dominated by Islam, it's customs and laws--and no longer ours.

Don't listen to what people say Islam is, read the three foundation texts of Islam--Qur'an, the Hadiths (the Words and Deeds of the Prophet and his Companions) and the Sira (Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad) (http://www.cspipublishing.com/) for yourself and learn.

I hope to God that there are many christians who work there and they themselves demand a room if they want to pray to themselves or have a break to read their bible! Don't get me wrong, i am respectful to others beliefs, but as a christian it upsets me if say the name of Jesus Christ, whoa whoa!, you have crossed the line!!! You wanna practice your beliefs, fine i go for it, but as a christian who believes in Jesus Christ, just show me the same respect!

Tyson set a dangerous precedent, and it is a slippery slope.

In the big picture, this is not about accommodating someone's religion, but rather about the precipitous intentional destruction of western society by an "islamic culture" that absolutely does not tolerate other beliefs, and mandates infiltrating western society via exactly these kinds of techniques.

As are most people, I am disgusted that while we as a society are quickly diminishing the religious foundation of our country (Christmas is now "holiday season", Easter is now "spring break", no prayer in schools, no "one nation under God", etc, etc, all in the name of religious tolerance, we are supposed to bend over to accommodate the one "religion" that has no tolerance and blatantly seeks our destruction.

I will no longer purchase Tyson products, and will encourage others to follow suit.

A couple more things to add to my latest comment:

The press release that this article mentioned is here:

http://www.tyson.com/Corporate/PressRoom...

Reading this thoroughly, you will note that it mentions the Union at this plant has a 12 member bargaining committee. 3 of which are Somali employees.

Therefore 9 non-muslim members of this board put forth the request to have this holiday paid.

Once the vote by employees to proceed with this request came, it was approved by 80% of the employees.

Out of a 1200 employees, 1000 are covered by the Union. 80% of that 1000 membership approved the contract.

Going with the number of 20% Muslim/Somalian employees, and assuming that every one of them voted to approve, that means 60% of approval votes were non-muslim/somalian.

No matter which way you crunch the numbers, there had to be an overwhelming majority of non-muslim workers approving this contract.

So, what does this tell us? I can only speculate that in THIS particular plant, the employees themselves (as a majority) do not have any objections to this new contract and it's provisions.

So, truly, who are we (as non-employee observers) to judge what has happened inside this plant?

My last thing to note. While all employees can still observe Labor Day, only non-paid, who wants to place a wager on how many non-muslim employees are going to refuse to take their paid holiday on this muslim day?

Sorry, I don't see anyone showing up for work when they don't have to, and STILL getting paid for it.

Tyson Foods, you are frying in your own stupidity. How dare you cater to the ones whose forefathers never had a hand in our country's founding, but you cater to those whose religion has a real intent to destroy America. According to their religion we are the "infidels"! Do your research! Don't you get it?!

Well said, Vandalyzed.

We should all just take a breath and collect all the facts first. (Including me.)

RE: EvilMonkey and other parties-in-arms regarding religious discrimination

Monkey, you asked if I had bothered to read anything or if I know anything about Tysons Foods.

I neither work there, or have worked there. I do not know the inner workings of the company. I merely read the article thoroughly and made my comments towards the many negative comments about Tyson Foods and this event.

However, as I am a freelance writer and a journalist, research is something I can do very well. When I write, I do it without emotion and based on the facts.

The 99% majority of comments here are all emotional, and YES, not based on people actually reading this article thoroughly.

As I stated:

Tyson Foods met Union requests during contract negotiations. One request was to have a religious holiday made a paid holiday in replacement of Labor Day.

Also, I commented towards prayer rooms being built for Muslim workers.

I did these comments just by using my intelligence and common sense in understanding how businesses, religion, and government work.

It is in our constitution that employers are to accomodate religious values, with only the stipulation that it does not impede work, and that it does not discriminate against workers and other religions.

Tyson Foods has been doing this since before 2001. So, I ask you... Why is it such a big deal to you now?

Allow me to answer for you. It is a big deal because the religion is Muslim. And, at this time, Americans view the muslim religion as being an anathema. Don't know what that word is? Educate yourself, please.

The Tyson Foods Chaplaincy program now includes 128 chaplains, most part-time, at 78 of the company's more than 300 plants and offices, including one in North Carolina. Nearly all are Christians. One is an imam. (This information is as of 2006)

In addition to providing chaplains, Tyson began offering a free downloadable prayer booklet on its Web site in August. Consumers also can request the 20-page pamphlet. As of December, the company had mailed more than 35,000 copies.

"This is an invitation for people to get a better glimpse of who we are as a company and what we stand for," said Bob Corscadden, Tyson's chief marketing officer, who helped create the prayer booklets with Tyson CEO John Tyson and David Miller, director of the Yale Divinity School's Center for Faith and Culture.

Faith-based workplace programs have been around for decades, but exploded in the 1990s. Pressures of downsizing in a global economy is proving fertile ground for spiritual soul searching, those involved in workplace ministry say.

So, this information is directly aimed at you Christians posting here. Your arguments are null and void due to the simple fact that there are many Tyson Food plants that are catering to Christians, rather than muslims.

It is not logical for anyone to argue that religious rights are being taken away from Christians by a company that has been exercising Christian beliefs in every plant. In THIS plant, they have extended their program to including Muslim beliefs.

THAT is wholly American. And for anyone to say otherwise, you are a hypocrite. No offense, and no direct attacks intended. Just think about it.

Someone mentioned that this country was "founded" on certain holidays. You are wrong. That statement is ridiculous. This country had no holidays when it was founded. Holidays were declared afterwards and they were declared by the government, not by the people.

When the Union asked for this muslim holiday to be paid in place of Labor Day, Tyson Foods almost certainly had to give regard to this law...

***********

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination by employers with 15 or more workers. Under Title VII, employers:

May not treat employees or job applicants more or less favorably because of their religious beliefs.

May not force employees to participate in a religious activity.

Must reasonably accommodate employees' sincerely held religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Must take steps to prevent religious harassment of their employees.

************

Tyson Foods may have their issues, just as any large corporation would. But, the ant-Tyson comments here are not and have not been justified by any legitimate facts.

Now, regarding the comment on whether I know anything. That was 2 minutes of research. One Google Search, One link clicked and reviewed. Imagine what I could do with 30 minutes and thorough research.

I mentioned the ignorance of many Americans today. We currently have a President that was counting on that very same ignorance. That is how we've ended up in a war that has not yet ended. And how many years has it been since Bush proclaimed "Mission Accomplished"?

Relax, Rewind, Reread. Get the facts, then post with the knowledge that your emotional commentary is backed by factual evidence.

Labor is a US Federal Holiday. I would think that a LABOR UNION would chose to honor & respect those who fought for rights & privileges that are commonplace today ... like 40-hour workweeks, health insurance, paid time off.

Quite frankly, I don't care what holiday the "union" has chosen to swap it for. It could be Boxer Day for that matter. But the fact that the "union" had the big ones to ask for it AND the company complied is a slap in the face to the men and women who fought for (AND DIED FOR) the rights that working men & women have today.

What's next? Swapping Independence Day for Yom Kippur?

I know what product will not be in my home ever again. Too bad too. By any indications of its financial health, the Tyson company could really use the busines.

Adios.

prayer rooms, OMG. somebody put a picture of JESUS in those rooms. give'em someone real to pray to.

i hope these people have voted themselves out of a job. if we AMERICA pull together and boycot tyson maybe this plant will close. this would be the first time a plant closure would be good.

they come bomb us, kill us, and now take our hollidays away. how many of these people voting are legal U S citizens? i hope tyson hurts big by this. giving up one of hollidays for this is bullshit.

I am totally angry and disgusted with this decision by Tyson to take away an American holiday and honor a Muslim holiday!!! This is AMERICA!!! We are not a Muslim nation nor should we begin to honor Muslim holidays!!!! My prayers to my heavenly Father, the one true Jehovah God is that His blessings will be removed from the Tyson Co. for honoring a religion that is anti-American. I will NOT purchase another Tyson product and I am going to inform everyone within my family, church, community, and city about this very disrepectful action that Tyson has taken.

This is absolutely appalling!! A prayer room?? Ask anyone of any other faith what would happen if they asked for a prayer room; the answer would be a resounding no way! A muslim holiday in exchange for an AMERICAN holiday?? I am sick and tired of catering to the muslim faith!! Tyson, you have lost an entire family of customers! I assure you, I will never knowlingly purchase another Tyson product! A minority of 250 out of $1,200...just ludicrous!

As a local resident, I will no longer be purchasing Tyson products and I will no longer attend the Walking Horse Celebration. Boycotting Tyson products will hit the company. Boycotting the local celebration will hit the community and make the community leaders realize that this was a stupid move. This is Tennessee folks. Muslims will be second class citizens forever or I will be moving out.

I gave up Tyson chicken LONG ago. Now I have a reason to dislike that place even more.

I guess that Tyson chicken and any other products by Tyson will NOT be on my grocery list ever again. Way to Go Tyson................cater to your Muslims and forget the Americans. There are many other companies to buy the products you supply....I for one will buy elsewhere or do without!! Enjoy your Muslim holiday!!

NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY TYSON!!

It's pretty simple. I will not buy Tyson products any longer.

I too will be boycotting Tyson. I had no idea they were importing laborers into our country. It's really all about the Almight DOLLAR... isn't it?? My country and heritage is PRICELESS though. Good-bye, Tyson.

Well isnt that precious? First of all, I blame the politicians. They live by the term, expedience. Gonna be real interesting when the muslims start electing our leaders. WASP's will be the lowest ones on the rung. Get used to it cause its coming. Can you say sharia law. Men grow your beards and women buy your robes.

Everyone please read the comment by Kaki on August 4. It is a very profound comment.

Why dont they just all move into the tyson building and live there? And anyone else who agrees with the Eid Al-Fitr can do the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.tyson.com/Corporate/PressRoom...

I'm not sure I understand why there is such uproar over Tyson agreeing to UNION demand in a contract that was negotiated last fall. I feel that this reporter is fueling this fire partly due to his anti-Somalian agenda and Tyson has gotten caught up in the middle of it. If you read the press release above, you'll note that "The contract that calls for this change was UNANIMOUSLY recommended by the 12-person union bargaining committee, which included three Somali employees. The contract was then overwhelmingly agreed to by 80 percent of the rank and file membership of the union at the Shelbyville plant." There are 1000 union members at this plant which means 800 of them supported this change. It is quite obvious to most that Brian has an affixation on the Somialian population and this is yet another attempt to fuel hatred toward these people. Tyson just happened to be in his path. When a Union Committee brings an item to the bargaining table which is unanimously supported, there is really no reason from a business standpoint to reject it. They are basically being ridiculed for making the majority of their employees happy. I guess I must be missing something here.

It may help to contact people a little higher up than the local.

pwhite@tnaflcio.org

Here is a place you can contact them and remind them that this local has has been bullied,bought off,and lost it's way-the American way.It's the TN AFL-CIO.If they get an earful,it will go to the national level.You might also remind them in your own way that Tyson is a very large contractor to our military.

Evilmonkey,

Just wanted to say I was being extremely SARCASTIC about us all needing a union my point was that the Somalians had to get the union to do this for them instead of just speaking for their selves and the fact that the union seems to be able to get by with something like this is hilarious so maybe next time any of our jobs wont let us have a holiday we will just make a call to the union and see what happens? And if we cant get a holiday off we want then we will know for sure that they are getting special treatment! As far as I am concerned the somolians chose to be here so they can either ADJUST or LEAVE and I will gladly help them pack!

While I am concerned with the HIV/AIDS problem I am more concerned with the TB problem.

There are several links to Emporia Kansas Here because if I am not mistaken our last batch of Somalis came from Emporia. Transfered from the Tyson Food Plant there..

http://www.t-g.com/story/1321194.html

http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2007/...

http://researchafrica.rti.org/index.cfm?...

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/112507/k...

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/immigra...

stoffer2 you said it well and at the rate its going it wont be long till we americans are on the outside looking in. why doesn't our government understand & put an end to this. just look at whats happening to our childrens education there are so many non english speaking children in our schools the teachers dont have time to teach american children they just send papers home and we parents have to teach them how to do it. my daughter was in the 3rd. grade last year & nearly everyday we had to help her figure out how to do her homework because the teacher didn't have enough time to make sure everyone understood. the american children are half way out already.

There is only 250 muslims in Tyson. This was confirmed by the Tyson spokeswoman Libby in Arkansas.

So 950 non-muslims are getting the shaft, again.

All of this is of no surprise to my wife and me.

We have not purchased tyson products since we learned he (tyson) was a very close friend of that fellow that wanted to know the meaning of "IS"

Is 700 Somalis working at Tyson Foods suppose to be at the Shelbyville Plant? Or All Tyson Foods?

I have a hard time believing there are 700 Somalis at Tyson in Shelbyville.

Also is this something that all of Tyson Food's Companies have started doing or just this one here in Shelbyville?

If the 1200 employees represent all Tyson's Food Factories then, How many are Hispanic? and That sure don't leave many American workers at Tyson Foods does it?

A few thoughts on that...

Tyson basically favored the 600+ (close to 700 stated in article) Islamic workers over the 500+ non-Islamic ones out of 1,200 workers. Not a real big difference in the numbers of each group. So why take away one group's privilege to give another group their privilege?

The slightly fewer non-Islamic workers who, until now, have taken their traditional Labor Day holiday, a day which is normally spent with family and friends, are being forced to change from taking their holiday on September 1st, to taking their holiday on Eid al-Fitr. According to the Islamic religious calendar, this happens to fall on October 1st this year... about a month after everyone else they know has had their Labor Day holiday. Is that fair?

We are in a nation that has agreed-on official holidays. One of the reasons for this, is so that the type of thing we see happening here doesn't start to happen. Once we start making exceptions for one group, another group wants preferential treatment too. It doesn't take much time for chaos to set in, because everyone wants to have things their own way.

Those workers knew about the holiday schedule when they signed-on to work at Tyson Foods. If management wants to accommodate them in the different holiday, that is great. But the other workers do not need to suffer in losing their traditional holiday because of management's decision to do that.

I think it is great that they are wanting to help Islamic workers be with their families on a holiday that is very important to them. However, I don't agree with taking away the Labor Day holiday from those non-Islamic workers who want to be with their families and friends.

If they really are wanting to accommodate everyone, why didn't they work the shifts out so that the non-Islamic workers could take Labor Day, like just about every other American, and the minority group, who happens to have marginally greater numbers at that one plant, could take their holiday?

I propose that they rearrange the shifts on those two holidays to accommodate the separate workers' holiday choices.

They also created two prayer rooms for the Muslim workers. They may be doing this under the umbrella of the Tyson Core Values. One of the statements is that Tyson Foods strives to be "faith-friendly," which is great in and of itself. How far is Tyson willing to go to be "faith-friendly?" If they are faith-friendly, shouldn't they be fair and treat all faiths similarly?

To put this in perspective, we are talking about nearly 700 people meeting together in two rooms, 350 per room, to say their prayers. Most churches around these parts run 150 to maybe close to 1,000, if they are larger. We do have a few really large churches in the area. So we are talking about Tyson Foods building, or setting aside, two large rooms, which are big enough to handle enough people to fill most churches. Sounds like Tyson is building Islamic churches to me.

I haven't heard of Tyson Foods creating places of prayer for the high percentage of Christian workers that have been working at various Tyson facilities all these years. What's up with that? And are they now planning on creating places of worship for every religion represented at Tyson Foods facilities? How about at Tyson Corporate in Springdale, Arkansas?

Shouldn't they be fair and accommodating to every religious group represented at Tyson Foods, or is it just the Islamic worshippers who get preferential treatment? Why aren't they building chapels or rooms for the Christians, and for the Jewish worshippers, and Catholics, and Seventh-Day Adventists, and Satanists, and so on... ?

Also, if Tyson Foods wants to go down the slippery slope of providing rooms for religious activities at their various facilities, that is their business, but it is not a cost-effective use of investors' funds to build rooms for every religious group present.

So, not to just harp on a problem, I also propose a solution:

There should be one multi-purpose, religious room built at each Tyson facility (including Tyson Corporate), which is large enough to handle either half their work force at that facility, or at least large enough to handle the largest religious group present.

They should also hire one or more full-time, heavily-armed security officer(s), who is pro-religion, and who is not biased against any religious preference. To maximize value for their shareholders, and help increase employee efficiency by providing for these religious activities, this person should also be highly skilled at leading each religious group in their prescribed religious activities. This person should also be highly skilled at event scheduling, facilities management, counseling, metaphysical and spiritual issues, conflict resolution, diplomacy, politics, riot control, hand-to-hand combat, spiritual warfare, detection and deactivation of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, and should also be excellent at telling non-offensive, politically-correct (and religiously-correct!) jokes.

Boy you all are sure up in arms about respecting religious freedoms down there.

What you should be more concerned about is the dropping of a holiday celebrating the struggles of workers and the benefits the labor movement has given us( 5 day workweek, 40 hr workweek, DAYS OFF, paid overtime, safe workplaces etc) and trading it out for a religious holiday.

This is more about creating a wedge issue by the people that control your operation down there, than respecting the rights and wishes of the apparently small number of (muslim) employees at this plant.

Disgusting.

I wrote to Tyson, as upset as all of us are and the following is the writen reply from the company:

"Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day has not been done away with at the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, TN.

Recent RWDSU(Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union) contract negotiations resulted in a different holiday for workers covered by the contract, for which the union bargained. Employees not covered by the contract will still have Labor Day as a paid holiday.

The union asked for and received "eid al-fitr" in place of Labor Day as a paid holiday.

Employees receive eight paid holidays per year, which is the same number provided in the old contract.The contract does not provide for an additional holiday."

Carma Nicholson

Consumer Relations

Tyson, Food Safety & Quality Assurance

AS I read this, I can only say that "WE" the people upset by this have only the employees at TYSON to blame for this. I have been involved in union agreement meetings and with this not costing the company any more than it did before. If the employees want this day instead, then the company, for contract reason, can make this the day off that they want.

Sorry. I can't fight what the workers want.

I do think it is not right and a sad, sad day for us Americans that are loosing our nation.

For everybody thinking about boycotting Tyson's, consider this:

It wasn't Tyson's that demanded this holiday switch, it was the RWDSU union, which is pretty much a branch of the Democratic Party. With a Democratic Congress and a likely Democratic President in our futures, we'll be seeing a lot more of this.

If you doubt the connection between the union and the Democratic Party, just consider who's been the Union's President for the last 10 years. From the Union's website, here are some tidbits from President Stuart Appelbaum's bio:

"Appelbaum previously served as Chief House Counsel of the Democratic National Committee.... Appelbaum was elected a delegate to the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Democratic National Conventions and an alternate delegate to the 1992 Democratic National Convention."

Unions may only represent about 8% of non-government workers, but they'll be running the country this time next year, and keeping them accountable even to their own members will be impossible, once workers' secret ballot has been eliminated (cynically called the Employee Free Choice Act - free choice to get your kneecaps broken, I guess).

Sorry Tyson and the Union that represents you. I will certainly do without any product that comes out of your facility. When American children are forbidden to use Gods name in a classroom, when the 10 Commandments are banned from Government buildings, but Muslim religion is being honored with special prayer breaks and prayer rooms, this is just WRONG. Come on, wake up, do you think the muslim terrorists who took down our Twin Towers, had prayer time in the cockpit before they went into the buildings? I respect the fact that they have special needs for their religion but do not change American way of life to conform to their way of life. This is America and they must do the conforming or go back where they came from. If Obama is elected in November, the whole country will have to shut down at Muslim prayer time so we can honor the Muslim faith. I hope none of you are having Open Heart surgery during Muslim prayer time. This is way past outragious and I am ashamed of Tyson and the Union who represents them. In God we Trust, I hope He is listening!

What are the statistical probabilities that 700 out of 1,200 workers at a plant in a small town in Tennessee are Muslim, by chance? What are the odds that 250 out of 1,200 workers, or 21%, are Somali (meaning, I assume, born in Somalia), when people born anywhere outside the country are only 11% of the population of that small town?

I would guess - zero. So how did this wildly improbable statistical outcome occur without some very aggressive religious discrimination in favor of Muslims, including, seemingly, importation of Muslim workers from abroad?

I have spoken with about 50 American employees at the Shelbyville Tyson Foods plant not one of them knew anything about this until it came out in the newspaper. So it wasn't even the fact they were ask but they were not even told.

This is totally ridiculous and absurd. I agree with the 'birdfeeder" story. I think everyone should BOYCOTT Tyson products. Maybe that would get their attention. Just remember though, if you vote for Obama it will only get worse.

Vandalyzed and EllementXX,

Do you live here? Do have to even go through any of the issues you been reading about? Didn't think so.

They have to pray at certain times of the day, Our breaks are at different times, They get extra concession for their prayers. Meaning they leave the line as it is moving and go to their prayer rooms. Then at break time, they get their break. Before they had their "prayer rooms" they would go outside to do this and let me tell you, they were chatting it up during this time.

To answer the question, the Union is supposed to cover all employees but certain members can vote, the problem is Most of the American members are never notified on the Vote until AFTER it happens. So yes this is a matter of business sense and a lack of ethics. So, it is ok to destroy a piece of your national heritage to be force to take on someone else's religion.

I do not care if you agree with me and I appreciate you coming here to give me what an outsider would see, but you don't even live here or understand the problems that it has caused. Our jobless rate here is 7.5%, Americans are forced out of jobs at Tysons by refugee replacements. One gentleman a few years ago was so upset by what happened to him, he brought in a shotgun and was going to kill management for taking his job away from him. He never missed a day of work in 18 years. Yet they gave his job to a Somalian. This is just unethical.

So please, before you say, Oh well it's business or the boycott won't work... (I agree a boycott won't, but blocking their roads would) please understand the other reasons involved. We not only lose our jobs here, we pay more for welfare, insurance (car, health, medical, property), and food, because 90% of the somalians won't obey common law. I just doesn't apply to them.

What we don't know is what the union agreed to forego in exchange for this arangement with Tyson. Better hours? Safer working conditions? A nominal wage scale increase?

Posted by EllementXX

Ya think!

This whole situation has went way too far! Tyson has ruined Bedford Co. My daughter went to work there for a few weeks. She has Supraventricular Heart Tacicardia that began at age 12, the male nurse didn't believe her and told her he never knew of a 22yr. old having heart problems unless they were drug induced, told her to go drink a sprite and sit down for a few min. A few min. mean alot with this condition. I picked her up and took her straight to the ER! Then a few days later she was sexually harrassed by her lead person, she had enough when he touched her and she cursed him out. She got fired and he's still there! I didn't want her working there anyway, I'd rather pay her bills myself than have her treated like crap and have some idiot putting her life in jeopardy.

This all happened last week, so I highly doubt it!

After reading this article and reading through all the comments, I have to say that I will most likely write a blog concerning this news piece.

However, it will not be as expected. My blog will center mainly on the incredible ability for Americans to get up in arms about a situation they didn't take the time to fully understand.

Every single complaint and talk about boycotting on this site has made it obvious that people didn't actually read this article. They saw one thing, and then started making their own opinionated conclusions.

A friend told me about this newspiece. And then started on her own rant. This was through messenger. So, because I understand her propensity for not reading a complete story before making her opinions, I came to read for myself.

And, just as I thought, she was wrong. Completely. And then I began reading the comments left here. It truly amazes me how ignorant people can be.

(uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication; "an ignorant man"; "nescient of contemporary literature"; "an unlearned group

uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field; "she is ignorant of quantum mechanics"; "he is musically illiterate"

unaware because of a lack of relevant information or knowledge; "he was completely ignorant of the circumstances"; "an unknowledgeable assistant"; "his rudeness was unwitting")

I've placed the actual definitions of ignorant here, so that you can understand that I am not calling anyone stupid.

What I am saying is that you cannot form an opinion without understanding all involved. Even with just this one article to go on, I cannot understand how most of you have formed the opinions you have.

Boycott Tyson Foods for giving their employees what the Union stated they asked for? Come on...

Now, if Tyson Foods refused to give that, what would happen? The Union would have gone on strike. Then instead of boycotting Tyson for the unfounded reasons you are doing now, you would be doing it because they didn't give the union what was asked for.

Tyson, nor the Union, has replaced Labor Day. You cannot replace Labor Day. It is a federal holiday. How many of you actually get Labor Day off with pay? In all my years of working, I never did. Labor Day to me, has been a joke... I got to celebrate Labor by doing it.

There was no replacement. The contract allows for 8 paid holidays. The employees via the Union chose their 8 holidays and Labor day was not one of them.

Is it possible that they will still get Labor Day off? YeS! Just not with pay.

Moving on to the subject of the prayer rooms. While many might complain about this and say that it shows religious preference, I take a different view.

One, most other religions don't call for mandatory prayer. Even then, their ability to pray is not limited to privacy. When it comes to the muslim religion, prayer is mandatory several times a day. I personally would build a sound proof prayer room for them. Why? Because I don't want to hear it!

Seriously. Prayer in most other religions is non-invasive. You simply bow your head and think.. you're silent during the process. Prayer in the muslim religion involves singing/chanting and movement. I would find that bothersome to the relaxation I seek on my breaks from working.

So, let them have their prayer room. Who really cares anyway? It doesn't show preference or discrimination.

No employee of any other religion is being denied a break of their own. So, there is no special treatment going on here. The only thing different is that muslims are being given their own padded room to pray in.

To address the comments of our way of life being taken over. I don't entirely disagree. But the problem I have is that people will take an event like this one at Tyson Foods, and exaggerate it and amplify it into something more than what it is, to satisfy the need to have another example of "the American Way" being destroyed.

That is truly the ridiculous thing going on here. If our American Way is being destroyed, it's because this country is filled with people that only read half a story before they decide to cry foul.

The rest of the world does not have ill feelings towards this country because we are the bullys of the planet. They have ill feelings because we act ignorant and self-righteous without trying to see the whole picture.

I, personally, feel that there is a lot about what is going on in our country to get upset about and do something about. But, Tyson Foods? Really, people, I'm embarrassed at the reaction here and on several other sites.

The answer is simple, restore Labor Day, and let those who choose, based on personal importance to celebrate a religous holiday either celebrate their birthday OR thier chosen Religous holiday.

If the Muslim employees want to use their holiday for this occasion, go ahead. Everybody gets what they want.

Some employee stats -- Quoted from "Tyson Foods warms up to Islam"

" Union leaders say implementing the holiday was important for the nearly 700 Muslims, many of them Somalis, who work at the plant that employs a total of 1,200 people. "

For years I have avoided if possible Tyson products because of their support of illegals. Now, that gets move up to do without if I can't find a substitute.

tolerance,

LOL, do you live in Shelbyville? Didn't think so or you wouldn't be saying any of this, so we should conform because 20% of a SHIFT demands a holiday. Why did they remove a holiday instead of adding it? Why not remove the birthday off? Seems it will effect everyone instead of the majority affected by the labor day.

When you target someone's race, religion or nationality, it is ILLEGAL, this is exactly what has happened. If they removed the birthday off, then you aren't targetting that.

On your last point, Muslims deserve our respect. How so? They sure as hell didn't respect me when they hit my car and sped off, leaving me with a 3500 dollar insurance claim. They sure didn't respect me when they pushed my son and daughter aside when they wanted to buy some fruit at Walmart. They didn't respect me when pulled into a gas pump and 2 of them stood in front of my door so I wouldn't slam the door into them. Too bad they misjudged me. Now they permanently walk with a limp. So much for respect eh. Sometimes respect goes both ways and I respected them so much at first they took advantage of it. Now it is high time for them to earn it back.

So tolerance, you can kiss my intolerant butt all the way to Mecca.

I'm appalled by these comments. A few responses:

1. You cannot seriously compare Eid and Labor Day. Eid is a sacred holiday that celebrates the end of a month of piety. It is an incredibly important holy day that involves prayer, worship, and family togetherness. Labor Day, on the other hand, was invented by a Labor Union in the late 1800s. We primarily celebrate Labor Day by having picnics and taking the day off work. I'm sure that no one here would value Labor Day over any important Christian holiday, and I'm disappointed that you would do so for an important holiday of another faith.

2. This decision was apparently at the request of the labor union. In America, we have the freedom to negotiate with our employers for a fair labor contract. These employees decided that, based on the limited number of holidays available, they wanted a holiday on a major religious day instead of a secular day. We should applaud their freedom to make this choice, not condemn it.

3. This decision is pro-religious freedom, not anti-American. It was the product of a choice between a day of pay for a religious holiday and a day of pay for a secular holiday. The employees chose the religious holiday, and I'm sure that all of you would make the same choice between Labor Day and Christmas. And presumably those employees who feel strongly enough about Labor Day can still choose to take the day off without pay.

4. Muslims deserve your respect. This labor contract is not about threats to America, to Christianity, or to your way of life. This is about hardworking Americans who worship a God and wish to have the freedom to worship him in the way they choose. I'm disappointed in those of you who condemn Tyson for this decision to tolerate the religious beliefs of their employees. In this country, we tolerate differences between people; this tolerance is one of the things that makes America the greatest nation in the world.

As other readers have helpfully pointed out, this is nothing but Sharia creep by Muslims that come into our country with the goal of subverting us and turning the United States into an Islamic state.

According to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html) that was last updated on July 24, 2008, Muslims make up an astonishingly tiny 0.6% of our population of 300 million people. That translates to only 1.8 million Muslims. This is an incredibly small number of people to be making such huge concessions to. Those of us who do not rely on the MSM for our news recognize that we have a serious problem in the US with the worsening pressure of this noisy, small population of Muslims forcing us to change our culture and our way of life for them, instead of assimilating as generations of every other group of immigrants have done over our history.

This problem is not new, and it is in fact only getting more intense around the country.

There are numerous public schools around the country that now exclusively serve halal meat, because the Muslim students complained... so instead of providing halal meat to the Muslim students, the schools instead ONLY serve halal meat to ALL students. Some schools in Illinois have 'cancelled' Halloween and Christmas to avoid offending Muslims. Harvard has closed down the pool in the student center to everyone but Muslim women a few hours a week to accomodate their grievences. Six Flags now has a yearly Muslim day, where they set up a public area for Muslims to pray. Countless public Universities have installed footbaths for Muslims to wash before they pray, as has the Indianapolis airport. Cabbies in Minnesota refuse to transport blind passengers with guide dogs because dogs are considered unclean in Islam. Also in Minnesota, Muslim workers at Target have been allowed to not touch pork products that are for sale; even if the Muslim worker is working the checkout line! Google some of these things and recognize that our culture is under assault.

This is not just happening in America, either. In the UK, cemeteries are being ripped up and redesigned because Muslims have demanded to be buried facing Mecca; in newly built cemeteries, EVERYONE will be facing Mecca. Nurses in UK hospitals have been instructed that it is their duty to turn Muslim patients' beds towards Mecca five times a day so they can pray. Muslim medical students refuse to wash with alcohol based soap. The women medical students refuse to roll up their sleeves to wash up to their elbows, as is required. In the Netherlands, arrows have been painted on prison floors so everyone knows which direction Mecca lies.

Just recently, a highly respected leader in the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) said, and I quote: "If only Muslims were clever politically, they could take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we were united and strong, we would elect our own emir and give allegiance to him. Take my word if eight million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us." (http://ohioagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/08/2008-isna-speaker-siraj-wahhaj-calls.html)

Please, let's all wake up and recognize what is happening right before our sleeping noses.

This thing with Tyson is just the small edge of the wedge.

I will not give up Labor Day, a truly American holiday, in a concession to Sharia law. I encourage everyone reading this to pass the word. Stop Sharia-creep, the subversive attempt to gradually replace American laws and traditions with Muslim laws and traditions. I will encourage all I know to join a boycott of Tyson until they come back to American traditions and values.

When are the Jewish Holidays? Does every religion get their own holiday? Something is not right here.

I will no longer buy Tyson. We have a friend that has chickens. I guess we will be buying his from this day on!

I am so sad by this story! This is America, and Labor Day is an American holiday!! But that's just about what everyone else here has said...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I emailed Andy Cordan at News Channel 2, from

"That's Messed Up".

Let's see what happens from here.........

The word out on the street whether its true or not is...... Tyson is fixing to bring in another 300 or so somalians from another state. That means that alot of Tyson employees are going to loose their jobs. They are going to lay off or fire those workers that have been there for so long and hire them in for cheaper labor. Someone needs to look into this to find out if its true or not. I would hate to see people loose their jobs. They will have to start all over at a different job.. This is not right people they should not be able to get away with this. I will not eat another tyson product until they make this right....

nascar,

I know you might be busy, can you email me at kiyi - at - charter dot net.

"Team member's birthdays" are not national holidays yet they already get those as PAID days off... I don't know of many places that give you a paid day off on your birthday.

Seems to me the team Union could have negotiated taking away each individual's birthday as a paid day off and left Labor Day (a national holiday, but each employer has the right to make that a paid day off or not, there is no law commanding this day as a paid day off)... But then again, this type of trivial thing is the ONLY thing people around here seem to get involved in.

For all who have been asking where the Somali's are coming from?

They are being imported by Catholic Charities.

We have the same problem up in Southeastern Maine. They are importing these folks into a completely foreign culture not to mention climate. They hang on street corners, intimidating the citizens, they do not work and they will not work. They do not speak English. They send their children to our schools and practice self imposed segregation and a supremacist style of separatism.

Even hospitals have been bending over backward to accommodate their females (can't be seen by male doctors, must remain covered, all staff must undergo 'sensitivity' training, blah friggin blah blah blah).

Thanks, Catholic Charities!

They are taking our sweet, small towns and importing the enemy.

This bothers me on so many levels...This is the United States of America. While we welcome people from other countries to come here (LEGALLY), we should not feel obligated to create "little Mexico", "little Somolia", or any other subcultures. If you want to be Somolian or Mexican and continue to live as if you were there while refusing to learn our language and laws, then go back to where you came from! This is the United States of America...we speak English. If you come here to work or live you should learn it and not the other way around. This is the United States of America...We have Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day to celebrate the working people and sacrifices made in times of war. If you don't want to acknowledge those things, fine. But don't get upset that we do. My children can't pray at school, workers at Wal-Mart can't say Merry Christmas but Muslims get special rooms to pray in. And if we don't approve of that then we are considered racist. Stand Up Americans or soon this will be a country where Americans are the minorities!

I am cooking out tonight with Perdue Chicken bought from Kroger this morning. It may cost a few pennies more but I did notice it was much cleaner than any chicken I have ever bought with the Tyson name.

-- Posted by Dianatn on Sun, Aug 3, 2008, at 2:42 PM

Funny, I was there last night and the Tyson section was nearly empty... Oh well.

So who says when we go to restaurants we must buy chicken at all?

Not such a miniature boycott when it spreads all over the USA and we all stop buying Tyson Products. It may not put Tyson Foods out of business but it will surely hurt their profit.

I am cooking out tonight with Perdue Chicken bought from Kroger this morning. It may cost a few pennies more but I did notice it was much cleaner than any chicken I have ever bought with the Tyson name.

Attn: Tyson Foods plant Mgr.

You know it is going to be a bad week when you show up for work on Monday and 60 Minutes is waiting for you.

The calls going in to CBS right now are beyond your wildest dreams.

One last word folks. I remember going shopping last Christmas and while checking out have the clerk look at you sadly and say "happy holidays", because they were FORBIDDEN to say Merry Christmas.

Happy holidays Tyson Foods, and Merry Christmas to all who stand up to them.

Wake Up Everybody, When will you get it thru your heads, Tennessee has NO LABOR LAWS to protect the employee.

Employers can do to you what ever they want to you and there not a DARN thing you can do about it.Under paid and over worked is what it is here.

And to be threatened that a tempory worker will replace you.Or even worst yet. You know one of those people who are not legal to be here. Yes we can thank Tyson for the starting of that here in Bedford County.

The days of being the United States of America are numbered.Because the land of the free is about gone.Oh and the freedom of choice is you have to put up with it , cause nothing is going to change.And theres no one out there whos going to stand up and fight for you. Labor Day is as important to the workers as Veterans Day is to our Veterans.

We need to stick together and get some laws made to protect us workers.And raise the rate of pay. So we can support families. Get rid of those who are not legal. And fine the companies who keep using them.

Vote in the ones who will help us get some Labor Laws in this state like the other states have.It's time for a change.

This story has made me sick. They have a prayer room. Yet, school prayer is a no no. What happened to In God We Trust? You know is printed on all the money we are paying this people. They don't seem to mind that. They are living in goverment housing (which as a U.S. taxpayer) we are paying this cost, not to mention health care, etc. They are rude, they smell, and have you ever caught the looks they give us? You know the old saying " If looks could KILL!" I don't have a problem with anyone trying to make a better life for themselves, my ancesters came from somewhere else too, as did yours. They learned english, the customs, the culture, the American way of life. I believe in the old sying, "America love or leave it". In this case the sooner they leave it the better off America will be. I think they are here for evil, to infiltrate this country of ours with horrors we have yet to see. They have brought their, customs and beliefs here and along with Tyson's help they have crammed them down our throuts, are you chocking yet? May Tyson choke on their own chickens. Yes, I know many people in this county make aliving through Tyson's in some way, and I do feel for them. But, enough is enough. GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE. Remember on election day where your allegance is and vote with MIND, HEART & YOUR AMERICAN SOUL.

thegardner, try sending this story to oreilly@foxnews.com

RE:I am appaled at this news. I was thinking that perhaps it was an "Orson Wells" joke, but apparently it isn't. I am afraid for our country, or what's left of it, we are in the throes of moral decay and our politicians are laughing in our faces, along with all these foreign groups. I wish I knew all the Tyson products, so I will be sure not to purchase one item. I'll starve first than to bow down to a company as this. I am a preacher and I don't like to bring up politics and such in the pulpit, but this goes "above and beyond" and I will definitely mention this tomorrow.

Posted by 1pastor on Sat, Aug 2, 2008, at 8:23

************I googled and found this**************

Tyson also makes and packages Kroger chicken.

It supplies all Yum! Brands chains that use chicken (including KFC and Taco Bell), as well as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Costco, IGA, Beef O'Brady's, small restaurant businesses, and prisons.

I also believe they package for Save A Lot generic but not for sure...

Hey Titansfan,

What day is good for you?! I'll pull my AMERICAN made F-150 right up front, break out my lounge chair, and park my big self out where all can see! I'll be the one with the big banner that says "AMERICAN HOLIDAYS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS!!!" or something to that effect.

-- Posted by jtjustice30 on Sat, Aug 2, 2008, at 9:30 PM

That's funny...a Toyota Tundra, Nissan Altima, and Honda Accord are made with more "made in U.S.A. parts" than an F-150. So much for "American made"...

Hey Titansfan,

What day is good for you?! I'll pull my AMERICAN made F-150 right up front, break out my lounge chair, and park my big self out where all can see! I'll be the one with the big banner that says "AMERICAN HOLIDAYS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS!!!" or something to that effect.

Welcome to the war for the USA. The first thing to remember is there is no such thing as a peaceful moderate Muslim, they are all evil to the core. They come to our country and claim to want to fit in yet do everything to make sure they stand out. They work to change us from the inside using one special favor after another. If I could I would load them all up and send them back to where they come from. There will be no Tyson products in our home ever again. This is just a small example of what is to come in this country if we elect Obama the black muslim as president. Stand ready minute men our time will come again.

Of course its to late now but I think Tyson Foods are history. I feel that the American people have had their fill of political correctness. More and more of us are becoming enlightened to the duality of Islam and the threat it poses to our way of life.

Somebody at Tyson should do their homework and find out what the duality of Islam is all about.

Don't forget to thank your elected officials, who received campaign contributions from Tyson:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/offi...

This is crazy. I hope this gets national attention. I'm so sick of people coming to our country and then trying to force their culture on us. I'm all for immigrants who come here because they love our country and want to be a part of it, but not if they come here and use our freedoms to make changes like this.

I suppose assimilation has been thrown out with our soverignty? These "leaders" are ruining America. We need to replace everyone up for re-election this November. "MULTICULTRALISM" IS DESTROYING THIS NATION!! We remove foods from schools to accomidate Mulims while they demand their customs are appreciated. They deny us our traditions, customs and cultures! We lose Christmas celebrations they gain footbaths and prayer rooms. They use "religious freedoms" and we are denied religious freedoms! HOW LONG UNTIL THE ACLU MAKES SURE SHRIA LAW IS THE LAW OF OUR LAND? Tyson will never see another penny from anyone in my extended family and I will make up fliers and place them on cars all over my city everytime I go out until no one in my state eats Tyson products ever again!!!!!!!

EVERY American in the Tyson plant needs to leave their line, or where ever they may be, along with the Muslim people and go kneel and pray themselves when the Muslims do. Just let them try to do anything to one of you. When they do you then have a federal case for DISCRIMINATION.

If the RWDSU stated they are giving an additional paid Holiday and they had 8 paid Holidays last year then they have evidently made a mistake. My math tells me 8 plus 1 equals 9. If they want to add one I see that being okay so long as all employees get all of them off. However do not take our Labor Day Holiday to please the Muslims.

I too will no longer buy any Tyson product. I do hope this gets around and that all Americans will boycott Tyson products. Maybe that would teach them something!

I can't for a second believe it but it's true

what is wrong with Tyson's

no way will I ever buy another Tyson product!!!!!

Tyson foods, you can rest assured I will never buy any of your products again.

My wife is from the Philippines and my first introduction to islam was learning how to bribe Philippine slaves out of saudi arabia. The sowdis follow mohammed's example to the letter. They still practice slavery openly. These somali factory workers are mindlessly spreading a doctrine which sanctions slavery of infidels. Honoring their holiday is honoring slavery.

There is an excellent site which describes the dangers of islam: http://www.jihadwatch.org.

The owner of that site, Robert Spencer has written "The Truth about Mohammed, founder of the world's most intolerant religion" which describes the murderous career of this monster. The site tracks the progress of worldwide jihad, the struggle for islamic supremacy. After my sowdi experience, I discovered this site and I recommend it to anyone who wants the latest news about what this "religion" is up to.

The Gardner,

I did email it to the general mailbox for him at foxnews. That email address is oreilly@foxnews.com Hopefully, he will help get the word out about this company.

Dr. Philbilly I tried emailing this story to Bill O'reilly but you need to be a premium member in order to do that. Anyone here a Bill O'reilly premium member?

http://www.billoreilly.com/pg/jsp/genera...

We need some heavy hitters like Phil Valentine, Sean Hannity, Bill O'reilly to report on this. I hope this gets national attention. I will be e.mailing as many news organizations as possible maybe one of them will report this disgrace.

If Tyson Foods wants to cater to Somalis in every way, Let the Somalis buy their products and see how long they stay in business.

Maybe Tyson should move their Factory to Somalia if they Love them so much.

This is one company that I would not be sad to leave this country. They do not hire Americans anyway. I did not buy Tyson foods before this and I certainly will not buy it now. For the Somalians if you can not adapt to our way of life then go back to where you came from.

Just a little more to make your blood boil, some of you out there may can verify this for the rest of us. It is my understanding that Tyson works the Mexicans on one shift and the Somalians on another and the Somalians even have there on special bathrooms. Not sure if this is true but if it is where is the stopping point.

Its not just about the holiday it is about the catering to Somalians or any other nationality, or government is doing it to us it is time we take back or country and stop sitting back and letting it happen. Same thing with our new dress codes for the schools, Somalians should be rquired to dress like the rest of our kids. No special treatment.

Yes or country is bulit on all races but we they were working for the same goal to be free and be Americans.

Americans have rights too and I am standing up for mine and will not bow down for any foriegn invaders.

I have forwarded this email to Gary Mickelson at Tyson as well... may his mailbox overflow with dissatisfaction!

Gary:

As with many Americans, I stand in awe and shock of Tyson's corporate decision at their Shelbyville, TN facility regarding the sell-out of the Labor Day holiday in favor of a Muslim holiday -it's not just the "religious" aspect - it's the fact that you are no longer recognizing that untold thousands of American workers have sweated, toiled, became injured and died for over the years to make Tyson the corporate giant it is. Bargaining chip with the union or not.. that is totally Un-American - Shame, shame, shame - not only Tyson Foods, but also on corporate America as a whole for allowing this to happen!

I am also employed in the poultry processing industry as well, however our workforce is predominately Hispanic... I certainly understand the business necessity of your decision, but assure you that I will do my best to not only eliminate Tyson Products from our household, but from that of everyone I come in contact with. Obviously the few hundreds (or possibly even thousand) dollars that my family spends on Tyson products each year will not make a huge financial impact on your bottom line. Hopefully if everyone in the US that is as disgusted with Tysons' decision as I am takes the same course of action, then maybe, just maybe at the next shareholders meeting, you will see a decline in your stock prices, fringe benefits and golden parachutes!

With grain prices and fuel costs escalating daily, no company - including Tyson's can withstand a loss of sales dollars and bad publicity... both of which is a recipe for disaster. May Tyson go the way of other so-called American-supportive companies that are no longer in existence!

Once again.. SHAME ON YOU for castrating American ideals as you have ...

THIS IS AMERICA FOLKS....TYSON IS FIRST BUT WHO WILL FOLLOW IF NOTHING IS DONE?

WILL WE LOSE CHRISTMAS AND EASTER TOO??????

Labor Day

Labor Day is the celebration of the value and dignity of work, and its role in the AMERICAN way of life.

Labor Day

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

This article is about the holiday in the United States,Labor Day

Observed by United States

Federal Holiday (Federal Government, DC and US Territories); and State Holiday (in all 50

The founder of Labor Day is "Peter J. McGuire" of Camden, NJ. The first Labor Day was September 5, 1882

US States)

Date first Monday in September

Labor Day is a UNITED STATES federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working man".

Congress made Labor Day a FEDERAL holiday in 1894.[1] All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the UNITED STATES since the 1880s. The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday--a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations", followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of theAMERICAN FEDERATION of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Today, Labor Day is often regarded as a day of rest

I have a friend at thar works at Tyson's. She is a single mom that busts her tale to make a living . She works hard and does her best to do a good job. Ever since they have quit hiring the hispanics and started hiring somalians she said her job is getting worse. She told me that they refuse to work hard to make production, therefor putting more work on everyone else.

I am also wondering if what I heard is true? Does the government give Tysons a monetary kickback to hire this group of people?

Most of us are struggling nowdays with the price of food and gas. If someone that was born and raised here needs assistance they are less likely to get it but they are given assistance at the drop of a hat.

It is not just about the holiday but our way of life in general. Our government is promoting racism and hate by giving them preferential treatment.

I will not buy Tysons anymore maybe that is not the way to fix it but It will definatley hurt their pocketbooks when people stop buying and the chicken rots on the shelf.

Muslim.Mexicans or whoever is going to come over here and live needs to have a training period. During this time they need to learn the American laws and way.What American is all about. They need too learn the English language..... They also need to pay income tax because I'M tired of having to pay it and having them to get more benfits than the Americans get. NOW,if they can't live by this , they need to pack their bags and go back too where ever they came from. No I won't buy anymore Tyson chicken.

Maybe its just miscommunication....

Maybe we should all be attending the T*G reported 'meeting promoting understanding' of the somali's.

No doubt such actions of tysons were on Nathan Hales mind, or deep thoughts contained in the 187 men at the Alamo facing over 4,000 of santa ana's finest, or of any other military men and women who have faced the enemy in mortal combat.

Yes Im sure as death faced so many US citizens the thought of how we can bow to those coming to live off of our nations greatness were foremost on their minds. Certainly not that we are a nation of ASSIMILATION wherein people of all the world have come to be 'a part of' not a part apart.

AHHHHH.... thats it !! No one has taken the time to teach these arrogant, rude, uncouth dole takers that America is a land of ASSIMILATION !!!

Well for the one or two who can read something other than 'how to' directions of more milking of the USA government cow, per Merriam-Webster here ya go :

"Main Entry:

1as·sim·i·late Listen to the pronunciation of 1assimilate

Pronunciation:

\ə-ˈsi-mə-ˌlāt\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

as·sim·i·lat·ed; as·sim·i·lat·ing

Etymology:

Middle English, from Medieval Latin assimilatus, past participle of assimilare, from Latin assimulare to make similar, from ad- + simulare to make similar, simulate

Date:

15th century

transitive verb1 a: to take in and utilize as nourishment : absorb into the system b: to take into the mind and thoroughly comprehend

2 a: to make similar b: to alter by assimilation c: to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group

3: compare, liken"

PLEASE NOTE 2c, To absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group.

For those few taking English classes to become more efficient at milking government programs, a quick refresher : a verb is an ACTION word.

Doing so does not require SEPARATE holidays, or work conditions ect ect. It actually means that you do as we do, not as you did where you came from.

If you care to continue life as it was there, then do us all a favor and just return there.

First, let me say, if anyone knows where I can buy local eggs and local chickens, I would be most grateful. The truth of the matter is, I won't eat chicken unless I cook it myself and it's not something on our regular menu anyway. But I would be willing to support our local farmers when I do purchase. Eggs, on the other hand, I used for just about everything so I could definatly help out someone local by purchasing them in our town.

Second, I want to say, I am all for freedom of religion. That is the basis our great country was founded on. What I have a problem with is that we are having our rights stepped all over, but yet when it comes to Muslims, they can come over here and do what they want? Our kids can't pray in school, our teachers aren't allowed to talk about God at all in schools, our kids are now having to wear a certain type of clothing.. which I don't see as a solution to anything. But they come over here and get their own prayer room? They don't have to adhere to the dress codes? Pretty soon they will be teaching about allah (sp?) in school. I know that life isn't fair, my parents taught me that. My parents also taught me to love people for who they are, not what they are. I can do that. But guest or not, they need to start acting like they are grateful for this country just like we should. If you invite someone into your home for a visit and they leave dirty clothes on the floor... it's just a little irritating, but something you can deal with. Then they start disrespecting your stuff that you paid for with your hard earned money. They have been given and inch and have taken a mile.

I am a Christian, nascarfan, so I guess I will turn the other cheek while they take over.

From the US Dept of Labor-

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

RWDSU - You have lost sight of what you represent.Shame on you!

Thanks,darrick.

BTW,I haven't see a LOT (I have seen some) of recognition of what Labor Day is about.

It's the same with many of our other days.

Maybe,if we had units on these days in school,more articles in the paper,t.v. specials,radio programs,parades,etc. then people would remember their significance or learn of them for the first time.

Labor Day might be valued more if people knew more about the struggle the worker has faced and why we have had a better distribution of wealth than old regimes like Rome and the Ottoman empire,why we have a better standard of living than resource-rich places like Nigeria and why unscrupulous businesses prefer to operate overseas rather than within the U.S.

Tell that on Labor Day we celebrate people like the fifty garment workers who went on strike because they couldn't live a respectable life on three dollars a week.

We remember mine workers and children in sweatshops who lost their lives due to unsafe working conditions.

We remember how labor forged alliances with women,people of color,immigrants,the elderly and disabled to help them support themselves and live in dignity.

The work those pioneers did and the risks they took helped wage-earners a century later have the rights they have.

Maybe,knowing Labor Day is about more than picnics ,sunscreen and sales on school supplies will help it from being jettisoned and see that the legacy of labor (good and bad) is not disregarded.

Hey Nascarfanactic,

Now that Juan Pablo is driving in Nascar which is National Assosiation of Stock Car Racing, I guess you would be okay if they change the name to Wascar w for world since he is not from this country.

What happens if you're one of the other 75% of workforce at the plant that DOESN'T happen to be Muslim, and you wan to take Labor Day off, with the rest of your family who doesn't have to work that day? Would you have to take an unpaid day off? Would you even get that day off?

What's Tyson going to do when they try to substitute Mawlid al-Nabi (Mohammed's birthday) for the Fourth of July?

This kind of pandering is only going to lead to further demands. Labor Day is a federally established holiday and the Somalis should realize they're not in Somalia anymore.

Needless to say, my family won't being buying any Tyson products.

Grit,

While in the heart of the matter, that might be true. But Yes, I did work for them, I was fired for going on my break. Nice eh? Guess I made room for a few Somalians. You can't blame me for bring Somalians here, but I can blame Tysons. They advertise it. Does Tyson advertise in the paper for job postings?

But in OTHER Somalians camps, they distribute 1000s of pamphlets and newsletters telling them where to go get jobs and how to get FREE help from organizations. Does Tyson pay for this? No. What about subsidizing it? No. Who does? You and I. Joy. Isn't that an eyeopener.

When are the American's going to wake up and take their county back and their rights that our fore fathers fought for. I for one will never purchase another TYSON product!!!

Wonder how Sam Walton would feel about this as most of the meat they sell comes from TYSON out of Nashville!!!

How many families are going to be effected by not enjoying the last holiday of the summer together? If an employee wants to take Labor Day off ok, and the others can keep on working and take their day off later for their holiday.

How many people who have responed to this artticle either work or would work at the Shelbyville Tyson plant?

Apparently they negotiated this holiday through the union. If this were a group of Catholic workers, would they not want Good Friday or Ash Wednesday as a holiday, would Jews trade in Christmas for Passover?

If you want to stop this then be willing to do the following (1) pay more for Tyson chicken - support a higher wage for workers, so American citizens can support their families who work at their plants(2) buy chicken from other sources - purchase chicken from local farmers instead of the local chain grocer and (3) eat beef, pork, lamb or goat especially that raised in Bedford County and processed locally. The irony is that most Somalians eat locally produced meats (goat) instead of chicken.

Purchasing poultry products produced by other companies only shifts this problem to another plant in another part of the United States. Of course you could buy imported food (such as most of your fruits and vegetables) - guess what, those folks in Mexico or Chili don't celbrate Labor Day either.

We are a nation of people who want cheap food that is convenient. The result is that those companies (such as Tyson) hire employees for as cheap as possible who will work under their prescribed conditions. We have developed an industrial food system based on least cost food production.

If the Somailians don't want to celebrate Labor Day - you have no one to blame but yourself.

this is about the worst thing since we had the mexicans coming in. Maybe WE need to invade their countries and see how mant car wrecks we can cause,jobs we can take from their families,insurance they can pay for,for us to get somalamexican food stamps.let's put their families at risk of losing their homes or cardboard boxes that they live in,and see how much crap they give US!!I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE AS WELCOMED BY THEIR GOVERNMENT!Maybe we need to look at our own government and see who is to blame for this situation.Tyson just got past the mexican lawsuit,now they're kissin the somalies a**es. What's wrong with this picture???????????

Evil Monkey . . already talked to one and really didnt get an answer which is typical. :-(

Well I guess I will throw my 2 cents in.

Christians get sued for speaking their faith.

Most jobs won't who work on a Sunday won't let their Christian employees off.

Talking about the bible or church or trying to witness is out of the question.

They want to call it Happy Holidays instead of Christmas.

Although Jesus was not born on Christmas.

Some cities discourage Christian symbols in your yard.

I always said that Islam would not destroy from without , but from within.

Purdue has my business anyway, I used to work at Tyson's anyway, I have not bought their since.

Go ahead and let them have their little holiday and prayer rooms for in time every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Maybe they won't put a bomb in the chicken.

The founding fathers will roll over in their graves if they could.

I am still proud to be an American , just not of what she does sometime.

The "Old Time Preacher Man"

jaxspike,

Why don't you go ask them? Plenty of opportunity at the meetings or even at the mayor's office.

Add this to the trend that makes faith-based holidays about food and gifts and patriotic days about white sales and fireworks and you see a diminishing of time set aside for true fellowship and the honoring of our past....

At a time when the public is suspicious of government and big business,the treasured parts of our cultures are forgotten and trivialized and neighbors are being pitted against neighbor,perhaps we should encourage every sign of respect for important values whether they be secular or sacred and do so every day whether they are assigned official days for recognition or not.

One thing we should stress: if the free and reverent treatment of beliefs isn't applied to everyone,it won't apply to anyone.

The day your neighbor's ideology or welfare is attacked or deemed unimportant,is the day what you hold dear is put in jeopardy.

-- Posted by quantumcat on Fri, Aug 1, 2008, at 6:49 PM

The most beautifully and truthfully written comment yet....

How many of us go to Wal-Mart, Kroger, Food Lion, Burger King, Mcdonald's, Hardee's, or to any gas station on Labor Day? I am sure all of us do, or at least have at one point in time... Most of those places are American owned corporations open 364/365 days a year, and if they're open, that means there are people at those places not enjoying the holidays everyone is so upset about.

I have never, until recently, been given Labor Day as a paid Holiday and have always worked it, at American owned and operated organizations. I started my current job last August, which does pay you for these days, but they are still open normal business hours all but two days year.

I don't necessarily agree to the preferential treatment but then again there are bigger battles to fight, than Tyson Food's.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of!! I am boiling from the inside out over this one! Given that I have already been pretty p***ed over the Somolians being here and living freely on my tax money, this just adds the icing to the cake. The American government needs to get off of their butts and do something about these people. Yes, I said these people! Call me biased, culturally incorrect, or whatever you want, but I am sick and tired of these people stepping foot into the country I was born and raised in and taking the tax money that my husband and I work our a**es off to earn so they can live for free!! It is a weekly struggle for our family to try to "beat the bank" with our paychecks so we do not accrue over-draft charges, while these people live here for free and walk into the store thumbing through a wad of $100 bills to pay for whatever they want!!

Also, these people enroll their kids in our county schools and are not even required to have proper identification, a social security card, or medical/shot records because it might violate their rights. Yet, my children whom I spent hours in labor pains to deliver on AMERICAN SOIL are REQUIRED to show this proof! Someone, please explain how this makes any sense!! Never mind, it doesn't!!!

This is just the beginning of what is to come in America. I guess I can start telling my kids that daddy and mommy can't afford to buy them what they want, because our money is going to help raise these immigrants that our government deems necessary to bring over here and raise! Maybe I should adopt a few Somolian kids so the government will send some money my way! LOL!!

I wrote to Gary Mickelson at Tyson Foods, Inc.

gary.mickelson@tyson.com

479-290-6111

My mail to him is below:

Dear Gary,

I am so lost for words I will only repeat the headlines and then do my best to ensure that not only my family but everybody else we know never buys your products again. And since I am presently working in Mexico (and Tyson products can be found everywhere here) I will help you out by translating it into Spanish for those that can't understand English.

"Workers at Tyson Foods' poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day, but will instead take the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in the fall."

It's like a race between the USA and it's European allies to see who can give away their cultural identity, their freedom of speech and their hard won freedoms 1st.

Sorry I was in a rush to run out of the door and I had a few typos.

I keep trying to think of something I can add to what has already been stated without sounding like the biased, prejudiced, bigotted person that all southeners are accused of being, but then I realize this is not a personal thing at all. This is no physical battle we are waging, this is a spiritual battle against the forces of darkness. We are in a physical battle with Muslims on their turf, but here in our own land we let them slyly, covertly, overtake us without us ever picking up our sword (the Word of God) to fight. Our government has ruled that Christians cannot express themselves in the workplace, on school grounds, in our courhouses or on government property; therefore our churches, parents and those who do wish to promote our beliefs have had to resort to homeschooling, opening private Christian schools or just conforming to the dictates of the law. If the Muslim people wish to work and live within the confines of our borders and to observe their national and religious celebrations, their options should be the options that natural born citizens have. These people should keep their children at home and home school them or their "mosque" should open their own private school to accomodate their prayer and dress requirements, or else they should go to school and work and conform to all the rules the American students and workers are required to abide by, including dress codes, and class attendance rules, etc. I began by saying that this is a spiritual war we are waging. This is only a taste of what will eventually be. We can boycott Tyson, we can picket, we can flood the emails and phone lines with messages of objection, but I think it's time that Americans stop complaining and fall on their knees and start praying for wisdom and discernment concerning our roles as Christians. If 90% of Americans claim to be Christians, why are we allowing the other 10% to control our nation. Satan has power and his followers are exercising their power. It's time for Christians to exercise our power, by speaking up, speaking out and rebuking those evils that defy our Christian standards. Meet you at the altar.

Sure there is. We gave in to the school dress code, next it will be peanuts, now it's our American holidays... Next in line will be our first born and probably the lowest hanging testicle.

I think it's time to go to the Tyson's web pages and start loading them up on emails.

No more Tyson products for me. Truly.

Lets take back Tyson. Why dont all of us bloggers go down there and apply for a job and take back that company from those people. Get all your family members to apply also.

I already do not purchase the overly priced Tyson products.

Perhaps we as American's should start making demands of our own. I thought we lived in the United States. A UNION of states, hence UNITED. Are we not UNITED Americans. We are all part of the greatest and largest "Union" in the world. So lets start acting like it and make this country how we would like it to be.

What's next replace the Forth of July with Cinco De Mayo? I'm all for anyone celebrating any holiday they wish but to drop Labor Day is wrong. Maybe Tyson could move to a Muslim country and celebrate all of their holidays with them. I'm for boycotting Tyson products as well.

I have not been buying Tyson products for years. Due to them importing illegal workers. Everyone should print this and pass it along to everyone you know. Take it to church and to where you work. Funny most muslums dont eat the stuff they process at TYSON. If this does not make every red blooded americans blood boil then we may be headed all to hell in a handbasket!

I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS! HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE AS AMERICANS GOING TO TAKE? LOOK IN DEUTERONOMY :28. WE ARE TOLD THAT WE WILL BE TAKEN OVER FROM WITHIN BEFORE GOD COMES TO TAKE HIS CHILDREN HOME. LOOK UP YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH!

I wonder what Andy Cordan on WKRN's "That's Messed Up" would say.

This is AMERICA! If they want to celebrate their own holidy...GO HOME!!! I am about tired of the problems that they are causing. Why cater to them when they aren't legal anyway!!!

May God have mercy on the souls of those who made this decision. I have to wonder what the Christian Tyson employees are thinking at this point. If the Christians in this world don't start speaking up we better be concerned about answering for all of this as well.

I boycotted Tyson several months ago and will continue to for sure now. I won't buy anything with the Tyson name on it. I know that some of the chicken houses are extremely dirty and not up to code. I know that many of the muslims are dirty and now I know the Tyson leaders are leaning towards supporting terriosm. If they had set up something for Christians, Jewish, budhist people would come unglued. Wake up Shelbyville shut them down.

Perdue Chicken anyone? check them out

Perdue Farms is privately held and family owned. Chairman Jim Perdue is the third generation Perdue to lead the company. Our company is guided by a family commitment to quality that goes back to our founding in 1920.

Our corporate office in Salisbury, Md., is across the street from the Perdue family farm, where our very first chickens were raised. The farm is a constant reminder of our company's heritage -- and the values upon which our business was founded.

doolittle: I understand your concern, but there comes a time to decided which side of the fence your are going to stand on.

http://www.wsmv.com/index.html

Based on the contract, the other paid holidays include: The Team Member's birthday, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day," Mickelson said. "Implementing this holiday was a challenge, since it falls on a different day every year and is declared on fairly short notice," RWDSU Representative Randy Hadley said in the press release. "But the negotiating committee felt this was extremely crucial, since this holiday is as important to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians."

Am I reading this wrong or the holiday that is "as important to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians" being paid in ADDITION to Christmas Day?! If this holiday is that important to them, make them take it off instead of Christmas Day and allow ALL workers to be off Labor Day. Most AMERICAN families have some type of function on Labor Day. Also Tyson can look at it like this 700 of its workers will be off whenever the lunar based Islamic calendar says that it is time and the other 500 workers will be off the same day every year. Seems to me that planning would be more effective if you knew when holidays/off days were. Maybe they already have a plan in place for reduced demand...you know the old saying "Gonna be dumb gotta be tough!"

Please keep in mind that by demanding a boycott of Tyson products you will be effecting a lot more than a few Somalians. Many families in this area are growers, not to mention the 500 non-muslim employees at the plant. The report stated that 700 of the 1200 are Muslim. That is actually 58% of their workforce, not 20%. Please consider the families who had nothing to do with the decision before taking part in a boycott of their products. It isn't fair to take food off their tables because Tyson is changing policy to suit the majority of their work force.

-- Posted by Dolittle on Fri, Aug 1, 2008, at 11:39 AM

If there are that many working at Tysons then the numbers the T-G gave when they wrote their article was way off. This is America, founded by the blood of our forefathers and should not be challenged by Somalians, Hispanics, or any other immigrants. If they come to America, they need to learn our language and our ways. They can practice their culture in private if they so please, but not shove it down our throats. Would they let us go there and change there country? I have banned Tysons products from my home for years because of the illegals they were hiring. I am sorry for the producers that are supplying them, but Tysons has once again crossed the line with the American people. Labor Day was here long before Tysons. What holiday will be next to be taken away and replaced to accomodate an immigrant. This stinks worse than the plant.

Does anyone know how to get this to a major news outlet? I would think it would make the Nashville nightly news, if reported to them.

Did the union members actually vote for this?

Osama bin Laden or Usama

Disgusting...apalling...horrifying...there just aren't enough words to describe this situation. There will never be another Tyson product in my home EVER!! Bedford County and the rest of the nation needs to take notice. Is this what we are coming to? As a community we need to come together protest! I'm all for banning together and picketing the plant on Jackson Street...who's with me?!

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working man".

Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.[1] All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer.

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States since the 1880s.

Tyson products have been out of my home for awhile.

Wake up America!!!!!!!!!

Wake up Shelbyville!!!!!

What about the American workers???

What do they get?????!!!

Big Slap Tyson!!! I hope you go broke and choke on your chicken!

I am just flabbergasted. I don't even know what to say to this. Who is running that place anyway? Obama's kin folk? I thought it was mostly hispanics in the work force there. This is rediculous.

-- Posted by JenniferC on Fri, Aug 1, 2008, at 10:49 AM

How did this turn into taking shots at Obama? You must be on those of people who forwards those ridiciolous emails...

Back on the topic though..I agree with everyone else. This is crazy and my wallet won't touch another Tyson product.

Perhaps someone who personally knows a soilder could answer this for me. In light of 9-11 and the fact that we have soldiers dying everyday in the Middle East, men and women having to live in tents away from there loved ones and friends for years through ALL American holidays, is this acknowledgement of a Muslim holiday a slap in the face for our troops? Or is it really a bridge to gap the relationships. I know how I feel, but I am not suffering as our soldiers are and for all I know they may see this as a step forward. Can anyone clarify, not with their own opinion, but with the opinion of a soldier?

Do the Hispanics get Cinco de Mayo too?

Thats it for me too, I am starting my own boycott of Tyson products. Help spread the word, how un- american is this, a company fueled by greed to sell out american beliefs.

I am just flabbergasted. I don't even know what to say to this. Who is running that place anyway? Obama's kin folk? I thought it was mostly hispanics in the work force there. This is rediculous.

I also thought that Labor Day was an American national holiday. The employees need to each have a personal choice between the two days each year. You can't please all the people all of the time, that is why most times you go with the majority and as of now Americans are still the majority here!

well i think that suxs tyson needs to take better care of there employers to take a holiday from the americans to make way for the accomadation of another is wrong very wrong i too think we all should stop buying tyson prouducts..

everyone should stop buying Tyson's products all together especially when we start accomadating what the muslins want.

That broke the camel's back for me!!!!!!!! They are already getting out of the school uniform deal for "religious reasons" and now they are taking a holiday that has been celebrated by AMERICANS for years and swapping it for this??? I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER TYSON PRODUCT!!