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Gordon beef plant

S

Sandhusker

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A food workers union said Friday that a kosher meatpacking plant in Gordon, Neb., has a pattern of food safety violations. Company officials, however, said the report was not merited and the union was motivated by failed attempts to unionize workers at the plant.

"This irresponsible union is trying to drive us out of business," said Sholom Rubashkin, vice president of Agriprocessors Inc., which also runs a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa.

The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union said it analyzed government documents received through Freedom of Information Act requests. The union said the plant in Gordon had more than 115 noncompliance reports from July 2005 to March 2007 issued by personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Scott Frotman, a spokesman for the union, said it represents 250,000 meatpacking and processing workers across the country. It has a long history of speaking out on food safety and other issues that impact the integrity of the industry, Frotman said.

Rubashkin said every plant in the country deals with varying degrees of food safety issues. The USDA has certified as safe all products coming out of the Gordon plant, he said.

The Gordon plant opened in 2005. It employs between 60 and 80 people, Rubashkin said. The UFCW has tried unsuccessfully to unionize workers at Agriprocessors plants in Iowa and Nebraska for about two years, Rubashkin said.
 
A few observations: I know a few cowboys who have toured a Kosher plant or two, and they were very favorably impressed with the cleanliness and care taken in that setting.

Not saying all are absolutely pristine, but it seems quite likely where religion is a major factor in practices, and that Jewish food laws stem from cleanliness and human health standards, or so I've read.

Re. unions: I have little use for them in the business climate in the USA where people are no longer place bound, but very mobile. Anyone CAN move to change jobs if they so CHOOSE. Some may have social or family ties they do not WANT to leave, but if the choice is between no job and a move, so be it.

Union organizers have been known to use dishonest tactics in attempts to organize unions in businesses where employees have previously had no interest in signing on. some Western SD businesses have seen an upsurge in this since the closure of the Homestake Mine.

For a union organizer to punish a non-union packing plant by publicizing and exaggerating food safety "violations" is neither surprising nor unexpected, IMO.

mrj
 
I've been on both sides of the union deal. They've got their problems - and cause problems, but one thing is certain - if companies treat their employees fairly there will be no union. Study your history. Unions were created because they were sorely needed.
 
(Neb.)-USDA Says Slaughterhouse Problems Were Corrected

By: Chris Fankhauser Posted at: 03/01/2008 05:55 AM


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A USDA spokeswoman confirms there were violations at the Agriprocessors slaughterhouse in Gordon, but says those violations have been corrected.

Amanda Eamich of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the Local Pride plant is now in compliance.

Questions about the plant's food-safety procedures arose today when the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union released a report detailing more than 115 violations at the plant between July 2005 and March 2007. The report cited USDA documents.

Agriprocessors vice president Sholom Rubashkin says his workers have voted against unionizing for the past three years, and the union is retaliating.
 
When I was inspecting abatoirs in the '70's the Kosher facilities were always amongst the best, and were quick to correct any health or safety violation that was found. Halaal facilities were mostly very good as well, but there were some which were constantly having t be fined or threatened with closure to motivate them.
 
I thought it would be understood without saying in so many words: obviously businesses treating employees right are unlikely to be unionized.

A study of 'history' will reveal that in more than a few cases far too many unions, leaders, and organizers have apparently become as abusive of members' trust (and funds) as sweat shop owners formerly were.

mrj
 
This plant got hundreds of thousands of dollars in empowerment zone money through a federal grant to benefit the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. I imagine as soon as that money runs out the Rubaskins will close the plant anyway.
 
Work Hard and Study Hard said:
This plant got hundreds of thousands of dollars in empowerment zone money through a federal grant to benefit the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. I imagine as soon as that money runs out the Rubaskins will close the plant anyway.
Click to expand...

It's crazy how fast truth shut's down speculation.
 
Did anyone deny there was grant money involved? Having done business in the town of Gordon over many years, we have noticed the effort to re-open a packing plant there. It seems like it should be a good idea to have another SMALL packing plant in cattle country, doesn't it?

Does that grant, or the relative proximity to the Pine Ridge Res. indicate to you that the people obviously wanting a source for kosher killed beef will simply use up the start up money and leave?

Is it because of proximity to the reservation, or that the ownership/management and customers most likely are Jewish, or that most government grants are used to line pockets of some people involved with those grants that you believe the plant will close anyway? Which factor do you believe will assure closure?

I'm simply not understanding your point, or the statement that your "truth" shut down speculation. Speculation on which points? Were the points made re. union problems unfounded? Or were the food safety issues in the plant more serious than management indicates?

mrj
 
Does that grant, or the relative proximity to the Pine Ridge Res. indicate to you that the people obviously wanting a source for kosher killed beef will simply use up the start up money and leave?



Yes and if you study the history of this operation you will agree. I'm all for the killing of cattle when that is what I sell, but to turn a blind I to the corruption that this is about is another check mark against you and the POS NCBA that you blindly support. I'll be dipped in shirt before i'll let you TAX me $2 for Canadian beef on your checkoff sham.
 
So..........you are ready and willing to be dipped in salt????slime, what???

And why? What exactly did this thread have to do with NCBA? Absolutely nothng! Though I will confess not knowing the meaning of POS NCBA. Maybe there are others who don't. Please enlighten us.

Re. my so called "blind support" of NCBA, that is an opinion, not a fact. And is none of your business, in any case, since whatever type support I may give NCBA does not affect you if you choose not to be a member.

Re. "the history of this operation", isn't the current kosher kill plant new and different people and type of plant than previous plants at Gordon? All I know about past history is that there has been a small packing plant there and it closed. Has there been more than one owner, or is it a new type plant with same owner?

Re. your babble about taxes, Canadian beef, and some checkoff sham, you seem too distraught to be coherent! Are you ill? Sorry for you if you are down with the flu. Some people have really suffered with that lately.

mrj
 
mrj said:
So..........you are ready and willing to be dipped in salt????slime, what???

And why? What exactly did this thread have to do with NCBA? Absolutely nothng! Though I will confess not knowing the meaning of POS NCBA. Maybe there are others who don't. Please enlighten us.

Re. my so called "blind support" of NCBA, that is an opinion, not a fact. And is none of your business, in any case, since whatever type support I may give NCBA does not affect you if you choose not to be a member.

Re. "the history of this operation", isn't the current kosher kill plant new and different people and type of plant than previous plants at Gordon? All I know about past history is that there has been a small packing plant there and it closed. Has there been more than one owner, or is it a new type plant with same owner?

Re. your babble about taxes, Canadian beef, and some checkoff sham, you seem too distraught to be coherent! Are you ill? Sorry for you if you are down with the flu. Some people have really suffered with that lately.

mrj
Click to expand...

Same plant different owners.
 

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