Some Companies Plan to Close To Allow Workers to Join Rally

A few days ago, Dennis Cotter thought just a few employees at James G. Davis Construction Corp. would boycott work on Monday. Then foremen started reporting a groundswell of support for the idea.

So today, usually a day of rest for the firm's 250 workers, many will pound nails and mix concrete in downtown offices and high-rise apartment buildings. And then they will skip work on Monday -- with their employer's blessing.

"This was something where the momentum grew within the community," said Cotter, executive vice president of the District-based firm. "It's something we need to respect."

Yesterday, as immigrant workers solidified plans for Monday, some businesses decided to close or scale back hours. Most did so in solidarity with their employees, joining the protest against legislation tightening U.S. borders and defining illegal immigrants as felons. Others said it would be pointless -- and profitless -- to stay open if those expected to boycott actually did.

Cargill Meat Solutions, a subsidiary of Cargill Inc., will shut down five beef plants and two pork plants. "We're doing this because we share some of the same concerns many of our employees have about immigration reform," said spokesman Mark Klein. "We're in this together with them."

Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat processing company, will close about a dozen beef and pork processing plants because of the demonstrations expected Monday and market conditions. In the weeks after Easter, many pork processing plants have shorter work weeks. Of its 114,000 U.S. employees, one-third are Hispanic, said spokesman Gary Mickelson.

"Most of the more than 100 plants we own will be in operation," Mickelson said. "We are asking workers not to take unauthorized time off or to seek approval from supervisor. We understand the sentiments behind the planned events for Monday but we are not encouraging workers to participate."

Virginia-based Smithfield Foods Inc. issued a statement saying it has been following the congressional debate over new immigration legislation closely because it has many immigrant employees. The company said it plans to help immigrant workers write to members of Congress for new laws that would protect documented workers and their employers and provide a path to citizenship for immigrants. "We believe this is the most effective action our employees can take to persuade Congress to make the right choices."

Because so many of the planned closures have come from meat-processing companies, at least one counter-protester is calling for a boycott of meat products on Monday.

"Don't buy or eat meat that day in protest of these companies, whose employees knowingly hire illegal aliens, collude with immigrant smugglers, break the law with impunity, and give these same illegal aliens the day off so they can demand amnesty as a reward," wrote Dan Stein, director of the nonprofit Federation for American Immigration Reform, in his blog yesterday.

Yesterday morning, coffee shop owner Marina Stoev, a Brazilian emigre who became a U.S. citizen in October, informally polled customers on whether she should close her Sparky's Espresso Cafe in the District. Her findings: They need their morning coffee.

"We will close by 1 or 2 o'clock," she said. "We are going to put signs on the windows and talk to the customers. Then five of us are going to the protest at Malcolm X Park," the site of one immigration rally on Monday.

Other businesses said they have made no contingency plans because nobody has asked for the time off.

Marriott does not expect a significant impact to their operations on Monday, although a spokesman said the company would give employees time off to participate without punishment.

Still, said Marriott spokesman Roger Conner, "We think it will be business as usual for our hotels."

Staff writer Michael Rosenwald contributed to this report.