“ Meanwhile , the men upon the floor were going about their work . Neither squeals of hogs nor tears of visitors made any difference to them ; one by one they hooked up the hogs , and one by one they slit their throats … It was all so very businesslike that one watched it fascinated … And yet somehow the most matter-of-fact person could not help thinking of the hogs ; they were so very human in their protests – and so perfectly within their rights ! They had done nothing to deserve it ; and it was adding insult to injury , swinging them up in this coldblooded , impersonal way , without even a pretence at apology ; without even the homage of a tear . Now and then a visitor wept , to be sure ; but the slaughtering-machine ran on … It was like some horrible crime committed in a dungeon , all unseen and unheeded , buried out of sight and memory .”
~ Upton Sinclair
[* The rate of cumulative trauma injuries in meatpacking is the highest of any American industry ; about 33 times higher than the national average . Even the Bureau of Labor Statistics admits that meatpacking is the nation ' s most dangerous occupation . Indeed , in 1999 alone , more than one-quarter of America ' s nearly 150,000 meatpacking workers suffered a job-related injury . And though some progress in worker safety has been made since then , the meatpacking industry still has by far not only the highest injury rate , but also the highest rate of serious injury – more than five times the national average . It ’ s no wonder that meatpacking is currently not only one of America ' s lowest-paid industrial jobs , but also has one of its highest job-turnover rates .]
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