WILSON, N.C. (AP) -- Workers at a Smithfield Packing Co. bacon plant have voted against joining a union that recently won an election at the company's largest hog slaughterhouse 90 miles away.
The company said Thursday that employees at its Wilson plant voted 338-181 on Wednesday against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers union. A union spokeswoman confirmed the result.
In December, employees at Smithfield Packing's massive 4,500-worker hog processing plant in nearby Tar Heel voted to join the union after a 16-year dispute.
Wednesday's vote came two months after parent company Smithfield Foods, based in Smithfield, Va., said an overall slump in the meat industry forced it to cut 1,800 jobs and close six factories, including one in Elon.