SEMA_________________________________

SOUTHEASTERN MEAT ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 620777; Oviedo, FL 32762 Phone: 407-365-5661

SUPREME COURT RULING ON PAY

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts' first case was the combined cases of IBP vs. Alvarez and Tum vs. Barber Foods. Employees at IBP and Barber Foods sued their employers for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The issue was if meat and poultry workers were entitled to compensation for the time spent walking and waiting for required safety equipment. The Supreme Court upheld the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to compensate employees for all hours worked. The Portal-to-Portal Act creates an exception to the FLSA for activities that are preliminary or postliminary to the principal activity of an employee, unless the activity is an integral or indispensable part of the principal activity. The Supreme Court voted unanimous that workers are to be compensated for their time starting from the locker room. In this case, any activity taking place between donning (put on) and doffing (take off) protective equipment should be compensated. Initial pre-shift pre-donning waiting time is exempt from compensation. The donning and doffing of protective gear, such as hard hats, ear plugs, hairnets, etc. are non-compensable.

SMOKING VS. HEALTH BENEFITS

Due to increasing health insurance rates, companies are looking for ways to keep insurance cost down. A survey by the Society for Human Resource found, five percent of employers prefer not to hire smokers and one- percent refuse to hire smokers. Weyco Inc. earlier this year implemented a no-smoking policy, on or off duty. With the unemployment rate at its lowest in the Southeast U.S., other alternatives are being looked at. Some companies are now requiring smokers to pay an additional dollar amount towards their health insurance.

COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING

The Senate and House passed and President Bush signed an agriculture appropriations bill that will delay mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) until September 2008.

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Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer
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NEW RULING ON CANADIAN CATTLE

Restrictions on Canadian cattle have eased this past year, allowing younger cattle into the United States. Now the USDA is considering a rule to allow live cattle over 30 months of age. The ban had been on the older cattle for it is believed that the chance BSE increases with age.

FSIS WEB SITE

FSIS is posting brief descriptions of new technologies to encourage public and industry awareness by small and very small plants.

FSIS established the New Technology Staff (NTS) in 2003, to review new technologies that companies intend to use in the slaughter of livestock and poultry and in the processing of meat, poultry, and egg products. Review by NTS ensures that the use of new technologies will not adversely affect product safety, inspection procedures or the safety of FSIS inspectors.

FSIS defines the term "new technology" as new, or new applications of, equipment, substances, methods, processes or procedures affecting the slaughter of livestock and poultry or processing of meat, poultry, or egg products. For further details on the new technologies, visit www.fsis.usda.gov.
This notice became effective November 18, 2005.

10 GOOD REASONS
TRAINING IS A SOUND INVESTMENT

1. Safety training reduces accidents and protects employees from injuries and illness, saving the company the cost of lost time, diminished productivity, and increased insurance premiums.
2. Training also assists in compliance with OSHA standards and decreases the chance of being cited and fined for safety and health violations.
3. Training in general increases employee job satisfaction, motivation, and morale.
4. Happy, motivated, safe, and well-trained employees are loyal employees, which means turnover goes down.
5. Employee training and development provides you with a pool of skilled and knowledgeable people who can move up in the organization and fill critical jobs and perform critical functions.
6. Training helps your organization ride the crest of technological change and innovation.
7. Well-trained, highly skilled employees are more efficient, productive, and creative.
8. Training helps you manage risks such as sexual harassment, workplace violence, and discrimination.
9. A trained workforce provides the human resources to expand into new markets and seize opportunities in a highly competitive and fluid global economy.
10. Training helps develop a positive organizational culture in which confident, knowledgeable, creative employees are poised to provide superior products and services to customers.

Article found and sent in by Jeff Chilton
Chilton Consulting Group

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TO PONDER………………
Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lot of that comes from bad judgment
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SEMA INDUSTRY NEWS

DeWied International: Jan Danielski will be retiring from DeWied International Inc., January 1, 2006. Jan's 20-year career with DeWied began as an Account Executive servicing the Midwest area, and then moved up to the National Super Market accounts Manager and 15 years ago promoted to Sales Manager US/CAN.
Jan says, “The last 20 years have been fun, challenging, interesting and very rewarding. The people we deal with are not only customers but also friends. I will miss them very much.”

Concept Foods, Holiday Gift Ideas: For more than 50 years, Alma Cheese has produced great-tasting natural cheeses. Check out the classified section of the SEMA web site for a listing of gift boxes, they range from $20 to $45. You may even want to make your own, steak & cheese box or sausage & cheese box, the cheeses are sure to compliment your meat products.

To place your order, call TOLL FREE 1-866-765-3522 or visit our web site at www.almacreamery.com.

Striplings General Store: Rick Hardin announced their products can now be shipped anywhere in the United States. Stripling’s processes a line of jerky and sausages. Check them out at www.striplings.com

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

PROCESSOR MEMBERS

Calihan Pork Processors
One South Street
Peoria, IL. 61602
Tom Landon, President
Phone: 309.674.9175
Producers of Pre-Rigor Pork for Fresh Sausage

Country Meats
7650 SW 75th Ave.
Ocala, FL 34476
Paul Geatches, Vice President
Phone: 352.237.5232
Processor of snack sticks

ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Karl Schnell, Inc.
903 North Street
New London, WI 54961
Bob Dichard, Director of Sales
Phone: 920.982.9974
Food and Meat Processing Equipment
Referred by Scott Downing

Take a minute to welcome these folks to the Association

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Companies that invest in employee learning have higher productivity, revenue growth, and profit growth than companies that do not.

The SEMA office and staff
would like to wish all
our members and their families

Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah

And Success and Good Health
In the coming Year