Police confirm racial incidents at sugar plant

[The Northerner]

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Police say union supporters have directed racial slurs and racist symbols at replacement workers and security personnel outside an American Crystal Sugar plant in North Dakota.

Traill County Sheriff Mike Crocker says there have been racial statements made to security people outside of the company's Hillsboro facility. He says he recently saw a monkey-like figure hanging from a noose attached to a large inflatable rat outside the plant. He says it was removed the next day.

The Grand Forks Herald reported on Tuesday (http://bit.ly/oQfZWj) that many of the replacement workers are from Southern states, and some are minorities.

Union representative Mark Froemke calls the behavior "totally unacceptable" and says the union will not tolerate racism.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Police-confirm-racial-incidents-at-sugar-plant-2167980.php

[Maccagirl]

1. Counter-productive, to say the least

and I'm being kind. Stupid is a word that comes to mind.

[marmar]

2. The world is still full of idiots.

nt

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. The ILWU have not been well behaved either

[Brickbat]

4. People can be stupid. Even union people. Too bad we don't get news articles about the stupidity,

cruelty and amorality that it takes to be a scab.

[sufrommich]

5. If they were calling the strikers racist names they would.

Why even try to make excuses for this,it's just nasty.

[Brickbat]

6. No excuses here. They need better captains on the picket lines if this is going on. I'm just saying

if people being stupid is news, we should see stories about people scabbing.

[DrunkenBoat]

8. +1. The ratio of stories about scabs v. stories about unions being stupid is 1:100.

And the ratio of people who notice the imbalance v. people who feel called to chastise union members for bad behavior while they're fighting for their rights is about the same.

[cali]

7. this isn't just about stupidity, though yes, it's that. it's about bigotry and hate.