Hog Wild: The Battle for Workers' Rights at the World's Largest Slaughterhouse

305 Pages·2018·12.269 MB·English

by  Lynn Waltz

HOG WILD

HOG WILD
THE BATTLE FOR
WORKERS’ RIGHTS AT
THE WORLD’S LARGEST
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
Lynn Waltz
University of iowa Press | iowa City
University of Iowa Press, Iowa City 52242
Copyright © 2018 by the University of Iowa Press
www.uipress.uiowa.edu
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isbn 978-1-60938-585-9 (pbk)
isbn 978-1-60938-586-6 (ebk)
Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the Library
of Congress.
As always, for Sophie and Zoe

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
1 Joe Luter and Smithfield Foods 9
2 Cheap Labor Built on a Legacy of Slavery 19
3 Lots of Pigs, Lots of Poop, Lots of Politics, Lots of Pollution 25
4 The Plant Opens; The Work Is Beastly 35
5 The First Union Vote; The nLrb Investigates 51
6 Environment and Immigration; North Carolina Is Forever Altered 69
7 The Company Woman; Climbing the Ladder Has Its Costs 77
8 The Second Union Vote; More Firings 91
9 The Trial; A Surprise Witness 111
10 The Judge Rules 131
11 On the Road with Union Organizers 141
12 The Corporate Campaign; Basic Human Rights 149
13 Pressure Mounts on Harris Teeter and Paula Deen 167
14 Latino Workers Walk Off the Job; iCe Raids Cause Flight 183
15 Stockholders Salvo; Secret Talks; Stalemate 203
16 riCo Shocks; Both Sides Flinch 217
Epilogue 231
Notes 243
Bibliographic Essay 273
Index 277

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
sPeCiaL thanks to Sherri Buffkin and Gene Bruskin for their courage
in speaking out and ensuring this story could be told, and to Jasper Brown,
Keith Ludlum, and others who generously gave of their time. Also, without
the hard work of journalists, particularly those at the Fayetteville Observer
and the News & Observer, who documented the actions of Smithfield Foods
and Smithfield Packing, this book would not have been possible. Thanks also
to the staff at the National Labor Relations Board for their labors in provid-
ing thousands of pages of documentation in searchable form.
To my primary editor at the University of Iowa Press, Catherine Cocks,
I owe a great debt for her hours of patient counsel and editing to bring the
manuscript along. Thanks also to editor Ranjit Arab for his help in making
final editorial decisions and to Meredith Stabel and the staff at the press for
all their hard work in bringing the manuscript to fruition. Special thanks to
copyeditor Christine Gever, whose attention to detail is truly remarkable.
Thanks to videographer and editor Sherry DiBari, whose insights and
eagle- eye view were invaluable, and to photographer and professor Dr. Mi-
chael DiBari Jr., without whose humor, generosity, and goodwill I could not
have prevailed. Thanks also to journalism professor and writer Wayne J.
Dawkins for his early read and steadily encouraging words.
Appreciation goes out to author and professor Michael Pearson at Old
Dominion University and to author Blake Bailey for their guidance on the
thesis that preceded this book. And to Buzz Bissinger, who altered my life’s
course into journalism many years ago.
To my daughters Sophie and Zoe, it is difficult to know how to extend
thanks for the many hours stolen from evenings, weekends, holidays, and
summers, but sincere thanks for the readings, edits, and advice, and most of
all, for excelling independently all the while.