Tyson Food Exchanges Labor Day for Muslim "Eid a Fitr"

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Tyson Food Exchanges Labor Day for "Eid a Fitr"

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Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States since the 1880’s.  But this year, some employees of Tyson don’t see much to celebrate for.

The Tyson Food processing plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee has decided to nix giving Labor Day as a paid holiday and replace it instead with “Eid al-Fitr” which falls on October 1 this year. Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday which marks the end of Ramadan.

This decision was made to accommodate the large numbers of Muslim workers at this facility but that has left many non-Muslim employees frustrated.  One employee who wishes to remain anonymous stated that she feels like her country and her beliefs are being pushed aside so appease the Muslim community.