Think about the Employee Free Choice Act when contemplating the fact that Smithfield workers have been fighting for a union for nearly 16 years.

Workers at the world's largest pork slaughterhouse in rural North Carolina have agreed on a four-year contract with a Smithfield Foods subsidiary this week. 

Workers at the Smithfield Packing plant in the Bladen County town of Tar Heel accepted the company's contract offer Wednesday after two days of voting.

Smithfield's initial contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers includes:

* Wage increases of $1.50/hour over the next four years.
* Continued company-provided affordable family health care coverage.
* Improved paid sick leave and vacation benefits.
* Retirement security through protection of the existing pension plan.
* Continued joint worker/management safety committee, including company funded safety training for workers.
* Guaranteed weekly hours that protect full-time, family supporting jobs in the community
* A system to resolve workplace issues.
* Three working days of paid funeral leave following the death of immediate family members.

“This contract will completely transform our workplace,” said Orlando Williams in a press release issued by the union.  “This is the biggest four-year wage increase Smithfield workers have ever had and it will make a real difference for our families and in this community. We could never have gotten that increase without a chance to bargain with the company. We will finally have a sense of security on the job because through our union we can make sure we have a safe place to work, and that everyone’s treated fairly.”