Colorado meat plant FIRES 190 Somali Muslims in one go

190 Somali Muslims walked out in protest over a prayer dispute with their employer Cargill Inc (a meat processing plant) because they wanted to pray in larger groups but were told they had to prayer in smaller groups. Likely frustrated, a supervisor told them if they wanted to pray to go home. So 190 walked out and after not returning for 3 days, Cargill fired them all:

IBI TIMES – Many of the 190 Muslim workers who lost their jobs at a Colorado beef-processing plant hope to regain their employment. They were fired last month after staging a walkout to protest the plant’s prayer policy.

The Cargill Inc. beef-processing plant in Fort Morgan, Colorado, said it fired the Somali refugees after the employees allegedly left their posts over a disagreement about when workers were allowed to pray while on the job. A group of 11 employees asked to pray at the same time in a room dedicated to prayer and reflection. When a supervisor requested the group to break into smaller numbers, 10 of its members resigned, citing their need to pray at a certain time of the day. When word of the disagreement spread, other Muslim employees staged a walkout.

“The majority of them did not show up, or call, for three consecutive days,” Michael Martin, Cargill’s director of communications, told KMGH-TV in Denver Friday. “It’s a disassembly line. A large number of employees are standing at stainless-steel tables. They had to rotate two or three at a time.”

Martin added that, before the dismissal, more than 600 of the 2,100 workers at the plant were Somali refugees. “Three-fourths of them are still working,” he said.

Cargill policy allows ex-employees to apply for their old jobs after three months, although KCNC-TV in Denver reported both sides are engaged in discussions that aim to shorten that waiting period.

I think I’d find another 190 people who actually wanted to work and let these Somalis who walked out find somewhere else to pray.


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