In an open letter to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Smithfield president and CEO Joe Luter has criticised the union over the methods it has employed to unionise the workers at the company’s Tar Heel production plant, calling on the union to “let the workers decide”.
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In the latest development in a decade-long struggle between the UFCW and Smithfield, Luter has increased the pressure on the unions to hold a ballot, overseen by an outside observer, in the immediate future. The company, he said, was happy to go before the National Labour Relations Board to resolve any remaining issues standing in the way of an election.
“Let the workers vote. Let the employees at Tar Heel decide – by secret ballot – whether they want a union. Let them decide whether the charges your union is making against Smithfield are true,” Luter wrote.
In a news release, Smithfield’s director of corporate communications separately addressed union allegations that the company was manipulating the status of illegal migrant workers.
“Smithfield is required by federal law to dismiss any employee who is not legally authorised to work in the United States. The union knows this. But it is trying to frighten Hispanic employees into supporting the union,” Dennis Pittman responded.
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