VALUED WORKFORCE • UNDERSTANDING THE HANDS THAT FEED US
meat processing workers
Although slaughterhouses and meat-processing facilities are highly mechanized, certain
steps of the process must be done by hand. Some workers kill and bleed the animals while
others make a series of cuts to separate fat, muscle, and bone. Plant workers may be required
to use sharp tools and heavy machinery, at high speeds, under crowded conditions, for long
hours, and on slippery floors—sometimes without adequate training. 7 As a result, workers in
the meat-processing industry face a very high rate of injury—over 40 percent higher than the
average for the private American workforce. 8 To keep costs down and the volume of production
high, the conveyor belts that transport animals and carcasses through facilities move at very
high speeds—up to 140 birds per minute at poultry processing plants, for example. 9 Workers
frequently experience chronic pain in their hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and back from
performing quick, repetitive motions. Workers who use sharp equipment, like knives, are also
at risk of serious injuries due to dull and fast-moving blades. 10 Slaughterhouse workers who incur
cuts, burns, or scrapes may be at greater risk of infections, particularly from antibiotic-resistant
strains of bacteria. 11
Many workers are pressured to not report their injuries. Corporations often reward facility
supervisors with bonuses if they report low numbers of workers’ compensation claims. One
worker in Nebraska explained, “Once the company got fined for safety violations and the
manager told us: ‘Be careful or we’ll have to pay more fines’—not be careful because you might
get hurt.” 12 Organizations like the Food Empowerment Project advocate for stricter regulation
of slaughterhouse line speeds, limits on the amount of overtime workers can be required to do,
and increased reporting of worker injuries.
GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM • GOOD FOOD RISING
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