Read this story for me. Then, tell me what you think. I’ll leave off any commentary on my part until I’ve heard from many of you. Or, at least I will try to not comment.
Dateline: Shelbyville, Tennessee. Workers at the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Shelbyville will no longer have a paid day off on Labor Day but will instead be granted the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.
According to a news release from the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, a new 5-year contract at the plant included the change to accommodate Muslim workers at the plant.
Tyson’s director of media relations Gary Mickelson said the contract includes eight paid holidays—the same number as the old contract. Eid al-Fitr—which falls on October 1 this year marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
Union leaders say implementing the holiday was important for the nearly 700 Muslims, many of them Somalis, who work at the plant that employs a total of 1,200 people.
Comments?
Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. What if we just got rid of holidays all together? Let's get rid of holidays and give everyone an additional 8 days of paid vacation that they can elect to take during what use to be holidays.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I'm just sick of this kind of mess.
Ummmmmm...???
ReplyDeleteThere are 700 Muslims that work there and 400 non-Muslims. I think majority rules.
Yeah, that's my answer.
Now if they could figure out a way to make their chicken breasts cheaper. Maybe that should be their next move.
Heidi
Ok I can't add... 500 non-Muslims, that is.
ReplyDeleteArg!
Heidi
Honestly? Their company, the majority was Muslim, would they take day off anyway?
ReplyDeleteIt truly does not bother me.
B&H Photo and Adorama Photo "up north" are two of my favorite "suppliers." However, I know that if I need something at a major Jewish holiday (ie -- Passover), I'm going to have to go somewhere else.
I guess the compromise could be to let them choose Labor Day or Oct. 1.
I'm sure it is a much more complex issue than I am thinking about it, but . . .
I reckon you all are cooler heads than me. My first reaction was "I am so tired of this c....I mean stuff. (I don't use that other word) :) Then I thought why are we kowtowing to the Muslims? Will they bend when it comes to Christ-followers? Nada. Then I thought I could boycott Tyson chicken. But I am not into boycotts (relatively ineffective). Then I thought, "Does Chik-fil-a get their chicken from Tyson?" I like C-f-a. So I have resigned myself to "what does it matter anyway? There isn't anything I can do." So there you have my definitive answer Steve.
ReplyDeleteDon't mean to sound argumentative, but frankly, I don't want people to "bend" to become Christ-followers. I want people to choose to become followers.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just don't understand the whole "kowtowing to Muslim" philosophy. How is allowing them to celebrate one of their holidays kowtowing. I thought Freedom of Religion was one of America's "tenets."
Or should it really be, "You can have religious freedom in America IF you are a Christian," which is what we Christians come off as sounding like, and acting like a lot, if not most, times.
Interesting comments so far...
ReplyDeleteThe US Supreme Court has already ruled that Christmas isn't a religious holiday as celebrated in the US. Most places are already closed on Easter. Good Friday as a holiday went out years ago.
I think that Tyson can do what they want, but I think they are making too big of a compromise. At the very least, there are 500 employees who are being made to take a holiday on a day that means nothing to them. If I worked there, I'd be raising a stink. At the very least, they should have given the employees a choice between Labor Day and Eid.
I think we are on a slippery slope towards the End of Days.
The more important issue here is @Bill: You will eat Chik-fil-A, but not McNuggets? Is there something I'm missing here? Both fried, both white meat chicken, both greasy, both nasty (even though my kids love them both). Hmmm. Is it just cuz the owner is a Christian or because the breading on CFA is darker and not yellow like at McD? :)
ReplyDeleteHeidi
I don't eat the nuggets at C-f-a. I eat the one without any breading. I don't eat at Mcd's at all. Although I did have their Orange Shake a couple of weeks ago. Tasted like an orange dreamsicle. That wasn't bad although it is hard to mess up "ice cream." :)
ReplyDeleteKarma, you make a good point. My thoughts were based on the obvious rigidity that Muslims show Christ-followers, especially in Muslim countries. Reckon I didn't explain myself well enough. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI say enjoy the day off while 239 million other Americans still have to work.
ReplyDelete