Hightower Lowdown

Two years ago, Tyson, the world’s largest meat company, bought the beef and- pork processing giant IBP, thus gaining control of about 60 meat-packing plants, including the one in Jefferson, Wisconsin, a town of 7,300 folks. Instead of embracing its adopted town, Tyson--a $23-billion-a-year corporation-- promptly got ugly, demanding a four-year wage freeze, a $2 cut in the pay of new hires, and an increase in the amount employees must pay for health insurance. When workers balked, Tyson turned its back on them, refusing to negotiate. The workers went on strike, and Tyson hired strikebreakers to replace them-- including dumping people who’ve given their entire working lives to this plant. This is the opening shot in a nationwide class war by Tyson to bust the middleclass wages of beef and pork workers down to the poverty scale of poultry workers. In Jefferson, this will devastate the local economy-- workers simply won’t have the spending power to sustain local businesses. The whole town has joined the strike--“Boycott Tyson” signs are everywhere, Jefferson’s two grocery stores won’t sell Tyson products, the Towne Inn Cafe has banned Tyson pepperoni from its pizzas. As one local puts it: “I don’t know if this small town can make a difference, but we’re doing as much as we can.” Lend your support! Visit www.tysonfamiliesstandup.org.