Workers at the largest pork processing plant in the world walked off the job Thursday, finally fed up with the company’s union busting tactics. Jesse Russell has more:

Without a strike vote or any notice to management, more than 500 workers walked off the job at Smithfield’s meatpacking plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina. The plant has long been a contentious battlefield between the company and attempts to organize the plants more than 1,000 workers. Multiple labor law violations have been documented at the plant, with workers being fired and or beaten for attempting to organize. According to the United Food and Commercial Workers Smith field campaign director Gene Bruskin, a rash of recent firings was the last straw:

[Bruskin]: This was really...uh...there was a whole series of firings recently and threats of firings and the workers just got fed up and walked out.

Bruskin says the company has been unwilling to meet with workers concerning the walkout:

[Bruskin2]: As is typical with this company, this company just refuses to respect it’s employees.

The plant has been embroiled in the battle for more than a decade. In the past, Smithfield has threatened to close the plant if workers organize, the company has asked workers to lie to the National Labor Relations Board, and for five years ran an in-house police force - arresting hundreds of workers and union supporters.