A MAJOR fight between American workers and bosses is now in its seventh month. Star. ting on 17 August 1985 United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local (branch) P-9 has been on strike against the Hormel company. In 1984 Hormel, which manufactures pork products including the well-known Spam brand, drove through a 23 per cent wage cut. In 1985 they proposed to freeze The company also proposes the destruction of the seniority system (first in, last out), the right to summary dismissal, the reduction of medical and holiday benefits, the loss of employment rights if a worker is injured, and the introduction of a two tier wage system discriminating between existing policies no wonder profits for Hormel increased by The 1500 Hormel workers and their families from Austin, Minnesota have been without wages and have no health insurance and no unemploy.
Many families have scrimped on food and left rent and bills unpaid — the company has organis. ed an alliance with financial backers and the rest of the industry's owners to starve the workers back. In response the P-9 members and their families have demonstrated a willingness and energy unique in recent US labour history to fight back. They have distributed literature from door to door to over 450,000 homes in cities across the mid-West travelled through six states sieeping on the ground thousands of union members at plant gates, visited union leaders. addressed unior demonstrated against Reagan's arbitration system Four thousand trade unionists, farmers, their strikers by gathering in Austin on 15 February to protest against attempts to break Local P-9 Guard, roughly the U'S equivalent of the British Territorial Army, escorted scabs into the Hormel plant from 21 January to 21 February — at a cost Acting alongside the National Guard have been the courts. On 14 February the courts imposed a maximum of six on the number of pickets al Hormel. Union officials were ordered to sign their lim Guyette, striking president of Local P-9. has become a well-known figure for his strong and militant leadership of the strike. Guyette told the 14 February demonstration: "There are no cowards here. We have people who are fighting against oppression, standing up so that farmers can be heard so that labour can be heard, Despite the obstacles Guyette told the demonstration: 'we intend to push ever forward, to get our contract and turn this When, on 14 February, the national union ordered a negotiated return to work, Guyette declared he was not in any position to 'negotiate away the jobs of strikers as part of a settlement In addition to Hormel workers themselves, women supporters have also organised in defence of the strike. Following the first wage cut in October 1984, a United Support Group was formed. This called a solidarity rally in March 1985 attended by 1000 people. The support group has been involved in the flying pickets sent out from the plant.
On the same day, 21 February, as the National Guard was withdrawn from Austin, 350 school students struck. They were protesting against attacks on their democratic rights to organise support for P-9 while at school. The students had Hormel's plant at Ottumwa, Iowa and Freemont, Vebraska. At Ottumwa 500 workers were fired for refusing to cross a P-9 flying picket line. At Freemont 56 workers were sacked for the same action.
Hormel has become a national campaign in the tion for several decades. It deserves total support and wide publicity NUM abroad during its long strike it is important Hormel's products are on sale in this country. The best known is Spam. You never liked Spam * Messages of support are urgently required and should be sent to UFCW Local P-9, 316 N.E. 4th Avenue, AUSTIN MN