Terrible news from Tar Heel, NC today: Emmanuel McKoy, a 27-year-old worker and strong union supporter at the Smithfield pork-packing plant in that city (of whose awful working conditions we have spoken before), has died.
From the Justice at Smithfield Campaign comes the following:
We are saddened to report the death of Smithfield Packing livestock worker Emmanuel McKoy. Emmanuel was 27 years old and lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He did not die while at work and the cause of his death has not been determined. Emmanuel struggled with type 1 diabetes and experienced health problems from that disease. He is survived by his mother, Wanda McKoy, sister Linda McKoy, fiance Cindy McKoy and other relatives that are unknown at this time.
Emmanuel began working in the livestock department of Smithfield's Tar Heel plant in October of 2006. He was a proud union supporter in the face of hostile opposition by the company. He even wore his "Justice at Smithfield" t-shirt when he was photographed for his Smithfield ID badge.
In a March 2007 interview, Emmanuel expressed concern about his health. He was hospitalized on two occasions in the last 7 months due to diabetes. He complained of being threatened with termination by his supervisor if he missed any additional time because of his illness. When Emmanuel returned to work following his January hospitalization, Smithfield put him on a job from which he could not be relieved to take his required insulin.
Emmanuel and other workers in the livestock department have been fighting for several months to gain access to clean drinking water and to get management to address other safety concerns at the plant. Livestock workers filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday, May 24.
If you want to do something to honor the memory of Emmanuel, you can make a secure online donation to the Smithfield Worker Justice Fund.
Rest in peace, Emmanuel.
