Screw Production - Let Em Pray

by Kim D.

Dear @Cargill , thank you so much for not bringing American productivity down to the level of Muslim nations. Refreshing to see spine.

— Silence DooGood (@DingoAteMyEx) January 2, 2016

Cargill's Colorado meat packing plant finally took a stand and fired approximately 200 Somali Muslim workers when they failed to show for work over a dispute concerning adequate prayer time and space. Look for a whole bunch of screeching from CAIR and liberal pundits on behalf of the fired, unionized workers, but ask yourself one, simple question - how many of you would be able to keep a job if you refused to perform as required due to religious conflicts?

Fort Morgan, CO: Nearly 200 Somali workers fired at Cargill meatpacking plant https://t.co/kd50VU2RnW pic.twitter.com/9HXx7Mh9n6

— Patriots Billboard (@PatriotsOrg) January 1, 2016

The dispute seems to center on Cargill not providing enough time and a large enough prayer facility to accommodate demands from its Muslim employees who would like to pray, in mass, during work hours (note that the company does offer a "reflection" area for employees in an attempt to facilitate on-sight prayer which appears to be not good enough for those of the Muslim faith). The simple fact is that the business depends on employees operating an assembly line and cannot shut down throughout the day to accommodate in unison prayer time for all employees. Undisputed is the fact that the company does allow prayer or "reflection" time on employee breaks which, of course, are staggered throughout the day allowing business operations to continue uninterrupted.

More caring and progressive-minded individuals would want you to sympathize with these workers and be enraged that the religious rights of Muslims are being trampled, and if they were consistent in their religious tyranny outrage, more of us might take their talking points seriously; however, ask Christian bakers/pizza makers and Kim Davis how many spoke in their defense for their Christian religious rights, and the silence becomes deafening.

The Muslim workers claim they were told to go home if they wanted to pray, but Cargill disputes this was ever said. According to Mike Martin, a Cargill spokesperson, 

 . . . the plant has had a designated “reflection area” since 2009. The area can accommodate a small number of people at one time. Employees typically pray during their 15-minute shift breaks or during their 30-minute lunch period.“Cargill makes every reasonable attempt to provide religious accommodation to all employees based on our ability to do so without disruption to our beef processing business at Fort Morgan . . . ” 

As reported by the Denver Post, over 600 Muslim employees work for the Cargill meat packing plant. It appears that all walked out over the prayer dispute but over two-thirds valued the job and came back to work.  The remaining third were hoping CAIR could negotiate their demands and were fired for their "no show" protest.