As most of you know, they began by initiating formal complaints about
health and safety violations, and about retaliation against those who spoke
out on these issues, receiving excellent support in these endeavors from the
staff of Southern Migrant Legal Services. Before long, the workers decided
they needed a union that could be an on-going presence at their worksite,
enabling them to address a whole range of issues. They contacted the United
Food and Commercial Workers union, which agreed to help them mount a campaign
for union recognition.

The groundbreaking organizing drive that followed drew strength from a range
of East Tenenssee community and religious allies, including Jobs with Justice,
Interfaith Worker Justice, Highlander Research & Education Center, Southern
Empowerment Project, Progressive Student Alliance, the Catholic Office of
Justice-Peace-Integrity-of-Creation, and a number of labor unions and local
religious congregations. It resulted in an overwhelming victory last September
when workers voted 465 to 18 to be represented by the United Food and
Commercial Workers (Local 1995) in an election supervised by the National
Labor Relations Board.

However, that was only part of the journey. As observers of labor relations
in today's economy are only too well aware, many union victories at the ballot
box end up being defeats in reality, because workers are often unable to win
the crucial first contract.

We are very happy to report that the workers at Koch Foods have now passed
that additional important milestone. Now it is really possible to say they
won the union recognition campaign and now they are seriously on the way to
building a decent and democratic workplace. Along the way, the company made
one "final offer" that union negotiators refused to endorse because it
was so miserly on the pay and benefits. After the workers once again demonstrated
their remarkable solidarity by rejecting the contract without a SINGLE vote in
favor, the company returned to the bargaining table, and a contract has now
been recommended, approved by the workers, and implemented on the job.

A full-time service representative, Abel Margarito, has been hired to serve
the Koch Food workers in Morristown. He attended the JWJ meeting in Knoxville
last Thursday, June 1, and brought both the good news, and the workers' thank
you for JWJ's continued support.

Of course, many problems remain in the poultry industry and at the plant, but
this is truly a welcome announcement and good news of which we can all be
proud. JWJ of East Tennessee looks forward to working with workers at the
Koch Food plant for many years to come.

Fran Ansley
ansley@utk.edu

Support Human Rights of Immigrant Workers in Tennessee

What is happened : A National Labor Relations Board election was held for the workers at the Koch Foods poultry processing plant in Morristown for Thursday and Friday, September 8th and 9th. This is exciting news and represents the culmination of a lot of work by many people who believe in human rights for workers and for immigrants.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2005

CONTACT:
press@ufcw.org

POULTRY WORKERS WIN
A VOICE ON THE JOB
AT KOCH FOODS
United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW)

Worker and Community Cooperation Key to Success
Morristown, Tenn. - The 700 workers at the Koch Foods poultry processing plant now have a voice on the job with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1995. Workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation during the vote on Friday, September 9, 2005 with 465 yes votes, 18 no, 12 voided ballots and 10 challenged by the Labor Board.

This is victory for the Koch Foods workers, but also the entire Morristown community. Workers reached out and gathered support from area churches, congregations and other community groups. The company agreed to remain neutral throughout the union campaign - which allowed for workers to vote in an environment free from intimidation or harassment.

"Workers, the community and the company are now working together to make a better workplace and a better life for the 700 families at Koch Foods. When workers came together to demand better wages and working conditions, management responded positively. This process has been a positive situation for everyone," said Bill McDonough, UFCW Executive Vice President and Director of Organizing.

The union drive at Koch Foods was the subject of a New York Times article on September 6, 2005 highlighting a resurgence of union activity among poultry plants in the South. Poultry workers at the Gold Kist plant in Russellville, Alabama continue to organize.

UFCW is the nation's leading poultry worker organization with more than 60,000 of its 1.4 million members working in the poultry industry.
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The UFCW represents 1.4 million workers in North America, with nearly 1 million working in grocery stores and 250,000 working in the meatpacking and other food processing industries.

http://www.ufcw.org/press_room/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=174

700 workers at the Koch Foods poultry processing plant in Morristown Tennessee have a voice on the job with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1995.

Recent History: