Muslim Holiday Replaces Labor Day
John Phillips TN
34 Posts
John Phillips
Editor, Tennessee Employment Law Letter
Miller & Martin
If you haven't seen my post on Tyson Foods' decision to replace Labor Day with a Muslim holiday as one of its paid holidays, you may want to check it out.
[url]http://hrheroblogs.com/theword/2008/08/06/muslim-holiday-replaces-labor-day/[/url]
I would appreciate your posting your comments on my blog below this post. Thanks.
Comments
I think there could have been a less controversial (and more sensible) way to accommodate the muslim employees who wished to celebrate the end of ramadan.
Perhaps Tyson could have created a more generic solution: a religious observance day.
"Every Tyson employee is granted annually one day for personal religious observance in addition to the current designated paid holidays. Each employee who wishes to take a religious observance day may submit their request in accordance with our existing paid leave policies."
The forum has discussed this eventuality (now a certainty) previously and I expressed my unfavorable opinion then and I reiterate it now.
9/11 is an open wound for all; acts of terrorism are very much alive regardless when or where they happened. NOW THE ULTIMATE INSULT: it is an abomination!!
As of this second I am adopting John's resolution: I will NOT buy EVER any Tyson's products. Whatever their reasons are, I cannot find any justification for what they did.!!
The only justification I can see is appeasement.
In the end, it's Tyson's job to present a benefits package - including holidays - that provides the best value equation. There is a strong chance that this move improved the value equation of their benefits.
I think they're chicken.
I did check out their website and found some interesting things. Check here, [url]http://www.tyson.com/Corporate/AboutTyson/TysonCares/GivingThanks/[/url] for a list of prayers they post that can be used at dinner time for those who believe in giving thanks for their food.
Some of their core values unclude,
[i]We strive to be a company of diverse people working together to produce food.
We strive to be honorable people.
We strive to be a faith-friendly company.
We strive to honor God and be respectful of each other, our
customers, and other stakeholders. [/i]
I still say it seems dangerous to make a decision like that at this time with feelings running so high. At least they didn't replace Christmas......
[b]Springdale, Arkansas – August 4, 2008 – Contrary to recent reports, Labor Day is still a holiday at Tyson Foods. This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, TN. The majority of employees at the Tyson plant in Shelbyville, TN, are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Stores Union (RWDSU), an American union that asked for and received Eid al-Fitr, as one of their eight paid holidays, in place of Labor Day. This applies only to the Shelbyville plant and resulted as part of the union contract negotiated last fall. This change does not apply to Tyson Foods' other 118 plants. This is not a religious accommodation, rather, it is part of a union-initiated contract demand.
This change came about as a result of union demands brought to the negotiating table, and was agreed upon by Tyson in an effort to reach a contractual agreement with the union. 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.
The Muslim population at the Shelbyville plant is primarily composed of approximately 250 Somali employees, who are political refugees, most of whom came to the plant as a result of refugee resettlement efforts based in Nashville. They were employed at the plant through the Tennessee Department of Employment Security office.
The Shelbyville complex employs approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 1,000 workers are covered by the union agreement at Shelbyville.[/b]
OK, so this decision was made at the request of 250 ee's, 20%. The other 80% just have to grin and bare it. But, since it is just another paid day off, they probably don't care.
Do you exchange gifts on EIad al Fitr?
Also, the press release doesn't say that the plant only has 250 muslims. It says that its muslims are primarily comprised of 250 somali refugees. That indicates that there are other muslims besides the somali refugees. Apparently the union's press release stated that the plant has 700 Muslims ([url]http://tinyurl.com/5altne[/url]), but if the number's that high, then it seems odd that the company would say they're primarily somalians.
But still, like you say, I don't think it's hard to believe that most employees don't care whether they get their day off on the first Monday of September or at the end of Ramadan. This NY Times article actually says that employees haven't even had Labor Day off in the past 23 years: [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us/06muslim.html?ref=us[/url]
I say good for Tyson for not letting the public's widespread prejudice against Muslims dissuade it from making a decision that its employees wanted/demanded.
Though I do think it's funny that the union gave up Labor Day, of all holidays.
This is so unreal it is almost funny!!!
When I came to this country, legally and without blowing anyone apart, I lived by this country rules!! As a catholic I took off the days of obligation if I needed to. Usually there are enough services at churches during the day to accomodate every shift!
People, this situation is dangerous and I am so surprised everyone is so bland about it!!
But you know what? At the very end this is your country, I am just a "citizen" so if americans are happy with this more power to them!!
Good luck!!
Of course language like some of us have used on this thread could land us in jail in Canada with their extreme liberalism related to treatment of minorities. My fear is we could end up with the same here in America.
This isn't an issue of unreasonably accommodating religious beliefs. If Tyson had exchanged Labor Day for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception due to the demands of a large Catholic population in one of its plants, this wouldn't even be a story.
Regarding the widespread prejudice of people being misinformed about Islam, you can mention that to the city of Florence (one of the most beautiful in Italy, after Venice of course)
where the good "muslims" camped in the Piazza right in front of Giotto's Battistero and made a total mess!!! They were protesting something (not certainly Italians blowing their airport or trains up becuse that is a task that they cater to so well) ) and so they decided to set house in the famous Piazza, defecating, urinating, eating, playing whatever instruments tey play early in the morning, and praying. Oh yes, they do pray a lot to their Allah to kill all the "infidels"!! When they finally left a month later, the city of Florence had to literally infumigate the Piazza!!
But let's not be to harsh on the poor muslims, they are SOOOOOOOOOO discriminated against!!!
Listen, I am not going to let this thing go on much longer because it is becoming way to personal and it is steering to a dangerous curve.
Basically if you and everybody else want to accomodate these people, I shall give you my blessing (for what it is worth) and my good wishes. I hope you look good in a kaffiyeh!!
That's all folks. Have a good day!
Right...
If only someone had warned us about those born-again Christians...
There are many brands of Islam. The concern is that right now today, the vast majority of terrorists are radical Muslims who believe they are merely earning their salvation by murdering so called infidels. Since 9/11, we have become more wary as a nation. How do we distinguish between a Muslim who is trying to live peacefully and one who would just as soon cut my throat? Or, enact laws that are diametrically opposed to my Christian beliefs. You may say then why should I expect a Muslim to live under my laws which they oppose? Simple, if they cannot abide by our laws and customs, then they should live somewhere whose laws and customs are in line with their beliefs.
In past generations, when peoples would immigrate from other countries, even ones with a vastly different culture, often within one generation they assimilated common American culture. We were a melting pot, to an extent. They became one of us. I do not wonder about a Pole. I do not wonder about an Irishman. I do not wonder about a Japanese. They Americanized themselves. They became like you and me. Muslims seem to not want to assimilate. They want to change. I don't want to change. I don't want sharia law, as we see in Europe and Canada. I don't want to see the pastor of my church arrested because he points out the error of Islamic teaching, as happened recently in Canada.
I don't want to see Marina wearing a burqa.
As for your comment about past generations, it simply is not true that Poles, Irish, Japanese, etc. were so quick to assimilate and Americanize. Many ethnicities formed neighborhoods consisting primarily of people from their country. Even today there still are such neighborhoods - I personally live close to a largely Polish neighborhood, where the church services are given in Polish, people go to the local bakery/deli where the shopkeepers speak Polish (in some cases, only Polish). I know people who came here from Poland nearly 40 years ago who still can speak only a little English. I don't know if it's still the case, but in one community as recently as 30 years ago, a local Catholic school taught its classes in Polish. I hear few complaints about such activity, yet I suspect that if Muslim communities of that nature became more common, there would be public outcry, regardless of whether they were asking anyone else to change their ways.
As for Marina wearing a burqa, she's free to wear one or not wear one as she sees fit, just like the women in most Muslim countries.