Tyson Caves to Pressure: Reinstates Labor Day

This just goes to show you that if we raise our voices loud enough, we can make a difference. Just like with the Islamic ports deal a couple years ago.
Good work everyone!!

Springdale, Arkansas - August 8, 2008 - Tyson Foods, Inc. announced
today it has reached a new agreement with the Retail, Wholesale and
Department Store Union (RWDSU), an American union, reinstating Labor Day as
one of the designated paid holidays under the contract for covered employees
in the Shelbyville, Tennessee, plant.

Tyson made this request on behalf of its Shelbyville plant employees, some
of whom had expressed concern about the new contract provisions relative
to paid holidays. In an effort to be responsive, Tyson asked the union to
reopen the contract to address the holiday issue, and the union agreed to
do so. The union membership voted overwhelmingly Thursday to reinstate Labor
Day as one of the plant's paid holidays, while keeping Eid al-Fitr as an additional
paid holiday for this year only. This means that in 2008 only, Shelbyville employees
will have nine paid holidays.

For the remainder of the five-year contract period, the eight paid holidays will include:
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and a Personal Holiday, which could either be the employee's
birthday, Eid al-Fitr or another day requested and approved by their supervisor.

This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, Tennessee. Labor Day has always been
celebrated, and continues to be, at the other 118 Tyson plants across the country.