Post Traumatic Strike Syndrome

Here is an interesting after effect of the nasty, cruel and totally unneccasary strike at Tysons Lakeside Packing Plant. The Klein Reich threw up their hands and said there was nothing the government could do. The bosses forced the strike, and drew a line in the sand relying on callow racism to divide the workers in the plant between the good ol white boys from Brooks, Alberta from the African Immigrant workers Tyson brought in to fill the jobs in the plant. As usual workers don't want to strike but want a fair deal. The boss doesn't want to deal so the workers are forced to strike. In this case it got very ugly on the picket lines. And the result is a new psychological condidtion the Post Traumatic Strike Syndrome. Now the government which refused to act in the best interests of the workers and thus the taxpayers, will now have to pay for the psychological stress their inaction created.

Lakeside workers fail to return to jobs
Last updated Nov 22 2005 10:25 AM MST
CBC News
Community workers in Brooks are trying to spread the word that it's safe to return to work at Lakeside Packers now that a bitter strike has ended. Hundreds of employees left town to find other work when the strike started in early October and have not returned. Employees ratified a new deal on Nov. 4 after three weeks of acrimony and violence that saw hundreds of workers cross picket lines. Some workers still living in Brooks can't bring themselves to go back because they can't stand to have more conflict in their lives, says one community worker. Doreen Medway, who runs a counselling service called the Global Friendship Immigration Centre, says many of the employees - who are immigrants from Africa - suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. "Like they haven't left behind the conflict from their country. It's still new to them. Violent behavior was part of their life where they came from," said Medway. "One client, he had a very good job and he has not been going to work. He doesn't want to pick who he should say hello to and who he shouldn't say hello to out there," said Medway. "He just doesn't want to be involved in any of it." Gary Mikelson, a spokesperson for Tyson Foods, says the company doesn't know how many people failed to return to their jobs. James Mutaga, an African immigrant working at the plant, says each conveyor line needs more workers. "Every single line is missing more than five people, so hundreds and hundreds of employees," said Mutaga. While Tyson looks for workers, African community groups in Brooks are holding seminars, trying to get people to spread the word that the conflict at Lakeside is over, and it's safe to return to work.