[NYTr] Jim Crow against immigrants by Hormel leads to health, safety disaster

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Andy Pollack Dec 5, 2007

Jim Crow against immigrants by Hormel leads to health, safety disaster

Yesterday (Dec 4, 2007) kclabor.org/news.htm posted a link to a Dec 3,
2007 article on a mysterious neurological disease that had struck 11
workers at a plant in Austin, Minnesota that, says the Post, makes
products for Hormel:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/03/AR2007120302503.html

A letter today makes clear the genesis of the plant and sheds an even
more sinister light on the whole affair:

http://kclabor.org/irresponsible_journalism.htm 

"Quality Pork Processors was created by Hormel executives in the
aftermath of the mid-1980s strike when Hormel decided to build a wall
in the middle of their new (opened in 1984) plant separating the kill
and cut operations from the processing operations.  The kill and cut
were 'contracted' to Quality Pork, which proceeded to pay a
significantly lower wage (with the then-trusteed union's permission) to
a new, largely immigrant workforce.  This 'inside contracting' became a
high turnover, high injury, low compensation operation, a veritable
"Jim Crow" institution within one of Minnesota's most important
companies.... Quality Pork and Hormel operate WITHIN ONE BUILDING
where, perhaps, a 'mystery' virus might spread, or that ALL of Quality
Pork's product (from where the "mystery" virus appears to have
originated) is sent over to the Hormel side, where it is processed into
food products for us and our families. 

Peter Rachleff 
Professor of History 
Macalester College

full article at:
http://kclabor.org/irresponsible_journalism.htm