A new In These Times article reports that
not only are factory farmers horrible to animals, but they also often mistreat
workers. “For
the vast majority of dairy workers in New Mexico, as in most states, there’s
also no holiday pay, no overtime, no sick pay and no workers’ comp. They work
in dirty, difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions for an industry they’re
convinced values milk over milkers.
Just
a few months ago, MFA released an undercover video shot at Winchester Dairy,
located in New Mexico. The footage shows cows being violently whipped in their
faces and bodies with chains, and sick or injured cows suffering from open
wounds, infections, and injuries left to suffer without proper veterinary care.
According to the author, “In the opinion of Tess Wilkes, a former
attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and
Poverty (NMCLP) who has interviewed dozens of dairy workers, the
Winchester Dairy workers were ‘unfairly blamed for an abuse that is actually
just a glimpse of a much larger problem’ in an industry where ‘profits are
paramount.’ Workers are under pressure to move the cows quickly and rarely
receive any kind of training.
And
the lack of training isn’t just dangerous for cows: it puts workers at risk
too.
Subjected
to filthy factory farm environments, workers often even go without workers’
compensation insurance. In fact, the article states that “New Mexico has long exempted dairies and farms from having
to insure field workers and people working directly with animals.
And
it’s no surprise. Abuse of animals begets abuse of people. To read more about
the ways that factory farmers hurt people, click
here.
You
can show your support of farm workers, and respect for farmed animals, by
ditching the industry that puts them behind profit. Check out ChooseVeg.com for more information on
making the switch, including simple
meal ideas.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)