Saturday, September 05, 2009
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determined that the workers at two JBS meat packing plants in Greeley, Colorado, and Grand Island, Nebraska, were unlawfully harassed and fired based on their religion, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The determination opens the door to legal action against the meatpacker by the EEOC or the fired employees if a settlement cannot be reached.
EEOC and JBS spokespersons could not be immediately reached for comment.
The dispute began last year during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the workers walked off the job after managers denied them a prayer break at sunset.
Supervisors had initially agreed to adjust work schedules to accommodate the requests by Muslim workers but later reversed their decisions after non-Muslim workers protested the changes.
JBS spokesman Chandler Keys told the Denver Post this week that the ruling was not unexpected, but that the company was disappointed by its timing during this year's Ramadan as it has made changes over the past year to alleviate workers' concerns.
Published reports this week said the meatpacking giant was close to a deal to buy U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride (PGPDQ.PK) for more than $2 billion, but JBS denied it was committed to any deal and Pilgrim's Pride had no comment. [ID:nN02537563] (Reporting by Karl Plume, editing by Vicki Allen).
Source: Reuters, Sept 05, 2009