WILSON, N.C. — Smithfield Packing Co. workers at its Wilson bacon plant have voted against joining a union that recently won an election at the company's largest hog slaughterhouse in Tar Heel 90 miles away, according to The Associated Press. On April 22, employees at the Wilson plant voted 338-181 against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

Employees at Smithfield Packing's 4,500-worker hog processing plant in Tar Heel voted In December to join the union after a 16-year dispute.

The Wilson plant vote took place two months after parent company Smithfield Foods said an overall slump in the meat industry forced it to cut 1,800 jobs and close six facilities, including one in Elon.