Colorado Meatpacking Plant Lays off 100 Muslim Workers
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The news story, "Colorado Meatpacking Plant Lays off 100 Muslim Workers"
describes a situation at a Colorado Meatpacking plant where, for the holy month
of Ramadan, Muslim workers (from Somalia) asked to move a dinner break forward
two hours or have an additional 15 minute break so that they could pray a
traditional prayer which is specific to that time of day. The company
originally granted the request, but complaints from non-Muslim workers prompted company officials to reverse their decision. As a result, many of the Muslim workers walked
off the job in protest. In response, the company laid off the workers.
The author asks us to think about our beliefs about diversity and pluralism as
he ends the story with a statement from the worker's union representative who
says, "It's a different time now, and we should respect different people's
values."
September 17, 2008
Discussion Questions
- What accommodations, if any, should private companies make for the diverse backgrounds of workers? If there are accommodations for Christian holidays, should there also be accommodations for Muslim holidays? Hindu holidays? Jewish holidays? What other groups holidays should be accommodated?
- Should individuals have the right to practice religion in the workplace?
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires businesses to accommodate religious observance or practice unless doing so would cause "undue hardship on the conduct of the employer's business." How do you think this applies for this story?
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Note: The media selections posted in Facing Today do not necessarily represent the views of Facing History and Ourselves.
