(RNS) A meatpacking company was wrong to fire more than 200 Muslim employees who walked off the job to protest insufficient breaks during Ramadan last year, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Workers at the JBS Swift & Co. plants in Greeley, Colo., and Grand Island, Neb., had wanted their breaks rescheduled to sunset during the Islamic month of daytime fasting, in order to pray and eat.
JBS officials say the company has amended its policies to accommodate its Muslim employees, predominantly Somali immigrants, during this year’s Ramadan observance, which runs until Sept. 19.
The EEOC ruling may result in the commission or the fired workers suing JBS if a settlement is not reached.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is not aware of any specific changes or plans to rehire the fired workers yet, said Christina Abraham, civil rights director for CAIR’s Chicago chapter.
“The workers are still not working there,” said Abraham, who had filed complaints on behalf of the Grand Island employees. “Now, the EEOC is going to try to facilitate some sort of resolution or settlement through a conciliation process. And if that doesn’t work out, we file a lawsuit.”
Diane King, a Denver attorney who had filed complaints on behalf of nearly 100 Greeley workers, said none of her clients have been rehired, either.
“It’s been a year, so most of them have moved,” she said, adding that she would seek other compensation for workers who did not want their old jobs back.
By Nicole Neroulias
Beliefnet
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posted September 5, 2009 at 1:00 am
It is amazing how the government more and more is becoming hostile to Christianity but friendly to Islam. To twist this company’s arm for religious compliance for Muslim while at the same time persecuting Christians for praying seems a little unbalanced to me.
posted September 6, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I don’t understand your comment. Hostile towards Christianity? Hello Christmas, and Easter? All they are asking for is that their breaks be changed to accomodate breaking of their fast. In what way is this hostile towards Christianity?
Wasn’t this country built on FREEDOM OF RELIGION. The last time I checked the US constitution didn’t state Freedom of religion only to Christians.
And where in the above article state “Hostile towards Christianity?”
I think you have a deep rooted hated to those who are different from you!
All companies hire people regardless of race, creed, national orgin, and religion. That is the given right to any person living in the US.
posted September 7, 2009 at 1:30 am
Lisa what century are you stuck in there is no gov. recognition of either Christmas or Easter anymore, and nowhere is there any ruling that would force companies to observe Christians rights to pray as a matter of fact just the opposite has been enforced.
posted September 7, 2009 at 12:47 pm
As a Christian minister, it AMAZES me that people can actually say the government is hostile to Christianity. What the government is hostile to is the weak form of christianity that falls apart if children are not forcibly made to pray in schools and history is not re-written to make the founding fathers appear as if they were christians, which they were NOT!
posted September 7, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Hey pauli, It amazes me that people have to call themselves pastor or minister, do you think you might forget. lol
At least 50 out of the 55 men who framed the Constitution of the United States were professing Christians. (M.E. Bradford, A Worthy Company, Plymouth Rock Foundation., 1982).
Eleven of the first 13 States required faith in Jesus Christ and the Bible as qualification for holding public office.
The Constitution of each of the 50 States acknowledges and calls upon the Providence of God for the blessings of freedom.