AMERICAN LABOUR:

COUNTRY NATURAL BEEF/BEEF NORTHWEST ONCE MORE:

The following appeal is from the United Farm Workers, and it once more asks you for online solidarity with the workers at Country Natural Beef .

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This isn't Democracy:
Country Natural Beef (CNB), the company who fattens its cows at Beef Northwest's feedlot, is about to try to turn back its employees' successful campaign to join a union.

Rather than accepting the results of a free and fair process in June, which clearly showed that a majority of workers want the UFW to represent them, it appears that the company is now looking to ratchet up the anti-union pressure on its workers.

Stand up for worker rights – demand CNB call off its anti-union attacks!

Several prominent community leaders and politicians have rightly refused to take part in the scam. Just look at the company's anti-union campaign over the past 15 months:
*Intimidation. Workers have been coerced into signing anti-union petitions, and pictures of pro-union workers have been posted in the company office.
*Harassment. Pro-union workers have been singled out for retaliation from management.
*Anti-Union attacks. Most recently, a consultant was brought in to interrogate workers about their support for the union, encouraging them to vote against unionizing.

This is hardly a democratic process. In fact, sounds much more like a one party election in a Soviet block country.

Workers shouldn’t have to feel intimidated and fearful of their jobs just because they want to be treated fairly.

Please tell CNB that you won't tolerate these blatant efforts to continue to intimidate workers. It's time for Beef Northwest to negotiate with the union.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter.

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I demand you immediately stop your anti-union campaign. Interrogating workers is outrageous. Remaining silent in the face of discrimination against women of color is immoral. Playing along with Beef Northwest's anti-union campaign, and refusing to recognize the workers who fatten your cows before being slaughtered, is just plain wrong.

We know that several community leaders and prominent politicians have refused to legitimize your desperate attempt to force a one party election on Beef Northwest workers. As consumers, we're not going to play along either.

It's time for Country Natural Beef to become part of the solution. Take a public stand and demand that Beef Northwest negotiate with the union that its workers have already chosen and denounce the on-going discrimination against women of color.

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UPDATE:

According to the following email from the UFW Country Natural Beef is blocking protest emails, but you can still send private emails, as suggested below. Simply copy and paste the letter above.

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If CNB won't listen to you, imagine what it's like for the workers who fatten their cows!!‏:
It appears that Country Natural Beef (CNB) is blocking your emails, by blocking the ISP of the UFW lis' server. This blockage is happening despite of what CNB say on their website--inviting you, the consumer to contact them if you have any questions or concerns about their product. Unfortunately it looks like they put up a firewall to make sure your comments don't get through.

If Country Natural Beef is willing to put up a firewall to attempt to block comments from consumers, imagine what it's like for the workers who fatten their cows.

Your e-mails are continuing to go through to Whole Foods, who buys the lion's share of Country Natural Beef products. Given Country Natural Beef's refusal to listen to its consumers, we need to continue to strengthen our call on Whole Foods to use its influence to do right by the workers who fatten CNB cows.

Also, your personal e-mail address should not be blocked so you can still e-mail CNB directly at Answers@countrynaturalbeef.com .You can cut and paste the message above.

And stay tuned for more actions next week!!

Jocelyn Sherman

UFW Internet Communications