Muslim Employees Walk Out of Meat Packing Plant In Dispute Over Prayer Breaks

Media are reporting this week on the firing of between 150 and 180 Somali Muslim workers at a Cargill meat packing plant in Fort Morgan, Colorado.  Denver 7 News and Minneapolis Star Tribune report that the action grew out of a dispute that developed when a new shift manager told 11 employees that they could not all take a prayer break at the same time. Ten of these workers resigned, and 177 other workers either did not show up, or clocked in and left, the next day in support.  When the protesters did not return or call in for three days they were terminated.  Apparently the parties are still in touch over the possibility of the employees getting their jobs back. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]