The United States Department of Agriculture recently released two studies of workers in the chicken- and pork-processing industries. The studies found that many meat-processing workers are at higher risk of musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
In fact, of the 1,047 poultry workers studied at 11 processing plants, a stunning 81% were at increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The findings speak to the challenging nature of working in slaughterhouses, where employees must perform repetitive tasks using dangerous equipment.
Several workers shared that they were fearful of retaliation from their supervisors if they reported any pain. One worker at a pig-processing plant said, “Everyone works in pain and is afraid to speak out.”
Working at meat-processing plants was already considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, stated:
Poultry workers toil in cramped, cold conditions, slicing up birds thousands of times per hour as chickens rush down the line.
Nearly half of frontline meatpacking workers live in low-income families (below 200% of the federal poverty line), and about one in eight have income below the poverty line. U.S. senator Cory Booker issued a statement:
These studies confirm that even our current line speeds are not safe for meatpacking workers. It is unacceptable that meatpacking workers are expected to perform jobs that routinely cause physical injuries. Congress must act swiftly to pass legislation that improves workplace standards for the people who feed us.
Take Action
Roughly every five years, Congress debates and renews the Farm Bill, the government’s primary tool for setting food and farming policy. The Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act is legislation that would improve the Farm Bill by holding the meat industry responsible for the problems it has created in efforts to maximize its profits.
Urge your representatives to support the IAA and help countless farmed animals!
