In today’s N&O, Greensboro’s own Rev. Nelson Johnson says workers at Smithfield Packfield deserve King Day off:
Smithfield Packing has refused to grant its hard-working employees Martin Luther King Day as a holiday (news item, Jan. 12). While thousands in our state will be commemorating this statewide holiday with service and prayer, over 5,500 predominantly African-American and Latino workers at the Smithfield Packing plant in Tar Heel will be forced to continue their daily backbreaking toil at the world’s largest pork processing plant. We find Smithfield’s actions unconscionable and urge the company to change its mind and say yes to the workers’ demand.
The King holiday has been in effect for 20 years now and I think this is the first year I’ve actually anticipated no mail, no school, no bank, no garbage.
