Crackdown Upends Slaughterhouse’s Work Force

[kskiska]

Source: NYT

TAR HEEL, N.C. — Last November, immigration officials began a crackdown at Smithfield Foods’s giant slaughterhouse here, eventually arresting 21 illegal immigrants at the plant and rousting others from their trailers in the middle of the night.

Since then, more than 1,100 Hispanic workers have left the 5,200-employee hog-butchering plant, the world’s largest, leaving it struggling to find, train and keep replacements.

(snip)

So far, Smithfield has largely replaced the Hispanics with American workers, who often leave poorly paid jobs for higher wages at the plant here. But the turnover rate for new workers — many find the work grueling and the smell awful — is twice what it was when Hispanics dominated the work force.

Making Smithfield’s recruiting challenge even harder is the fact that many local residents have worked there before and soured on the experience. As a result, Smithfield often looks far afield for new employees.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12smithfield.html?hp

[Kagemusha]

1. Their style guide needs tweaking.

The way the words are used here implies that "Hispanics" cannot be "Americans" and vice versa.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Astute observation

thank you.

[Omaha Steve]

3. This company has a long history of abuse

I hope they get the UFCW and it will stop.

[slackmaster]

4. They missed an opportunity for a stylistic tour de force on that one

If they had concatenated "work force" into "workforce" (which without checking I believe would be proper), the headline would have consisted solely of compound words.

[Fierce]

6. This is the best post I've seen on DU, ever.

I love that you saw that.

[slackmaster]

8. Thanks, I was a technical writer for over 10 years

Being paid to write can change the way you read.

The headline is still powerful as it stands. Other than up and house, all the words relate to power or force.

[Canuckistanian]

5. And why wasn't the company charged?

Why wasn't the company president rousted from his bed in the middle of night FOR HIRING ILLEGALS?

[otherlander]

9. Because that would just make way too much sense.

[Bigmack]

7. Americans might have to pay 10 cents...

a pound for meat if it is processed in more humane (to both animals and humans), efficient, and clean.

All these e-coli outbreaks are just an indication of the general sloppy conditions in packing houses, and the corporate push for speed and low cost above any other consideration.

They have to slow down, take better care of the animals and the employees, offer higher wages, and clean up their act.

It goes without saying that this country needs to curb it's appetite for meat. Double bacon hamburgers aren't good for us for many reasons.