Why The Humane League Stands for Animals and Workers Exploited by the Meat Industry

To achieve this mission, we must repair our broken food system—a system built on bloodshed and quick profits in which animals and humans are treated as unfeeling commodities. As our movement grows and our mission becomes more critical than ever, we cannot turn a blind eye to the egregious treatment of workers who suffer in this system alongside the animals we work to protect. Animal rights advocates and human rights advocates have a common enemy in factory farming, and we can leverage our common ground to hold this industry accountable. We are strongest when we unite across movements and pursue key opportunities for collaboration and collective action.

The abuse of workers

Slaughterhouse jobs are among the most dangerous in the country. Workers must perform repetitive motions for hours on end, wield industrial saws and sharp knives, and confront the violence of turning thousands of terrified animals into carcasses each day at a break-neck speed. The Food Chain Workers Alliance reports that 65% of meatpacking and food processing workers often experience injuries ranging from lacerations to the loss of limbs.

It may be hard for many animal advocates to imagine why anyone would work in these conditions or elect to kill animals for a living, but many people do not have the privilege of working in a more comfortable and safe environment. In rural communities ravaged by corporate agribusiness, slaughterhouse jobs are often among the few viable employment options.

This abuse of working-class families is not just a human rights issue; it is a matter of racial and economic justice, too. Slaughterhouse workers are predominantly people of color living in low-income communities, and a significant number are undocumented immigrants. Most workers are “at-will” employees, meaning they can be easily fired at the company’s discretion. Threats of termination or, in many cases, deportation, discourage workers from reporting safety concerns, injuries, illness, animal abuse, and other serious issues.

Giant meat companies have intentionally built a vulnerable workforce that they treat as disposable. If most workers in this industry were white, middle class, and politically empowered, this industry would almost certainly not be able to operate as it does today. The exploitation of largely Black, brown, and poor communities is a clear manifestation of racism and classism in agribusiness, and it is a reality we cannot ignore as we seek to build a more just and humane food system.

Conditions are only worsening

Meat producers have done very little to improve dangerous working conditions. In fact, the opposite is happening. Over the last several years, companies have increased their slaughter line speeds despite employees’ and labor advocates’ demands for them to slow. In some cases, poultry companies force workers to slaughter up to 175 birds per minute, up from a previous average of 140. Not only does this lead to greater animal suffering—studies show that increasing line speeds also increases the risk of worker injury and stress. Companies have also maintained policies that penalize those who miss work and silence those who speak out. Even during COVID-19, companies have neglected to protect their workers from the deadly virus, leading thousands to fall ill and hundreds to die. This is just one recent, yet visible, illustration of how little these companies care about people.

It is clear that meat companies are propped up by the oppression of their workforce, and they will do everything they can to maintain or expand that status quo. They know their ability to produce cheap meat depends on this continued exploitation.

A unified approach

Within our exploitative and unsustainable food system, there are key areas in which the abuse of animals and workers clearly connect. One action advocates can unite around is the fight to reduce slaughter line speeds. For the sake of both animal welfare and worker safety, companies should not be permitted to raise the speed of recklessly fast-moving slaughter lines.

Relatedly, we can work together to end the cruel practice of live-shackle slaughter, which causes chickens unimaginable suffering and creates a dangerous environment for workers.

Finally, we can and should support workers and their advocates in demanding the protections they need. We must recognize that we are not the experts in this area, and the best approach is to amplify the voices of those working directly on the ground to advance protections for workers. That’s why in July 2020, we joined a coalition of 150+ organizations in a week of actions against Tyson Foods, demanding that the company provide safer working conditions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers and their communities. The joint appeal also urged a phase out of live-shackle slaughter and a slowing of line speeds. The success of this week of actions is a small example of the collective power we can have when we come together to hold giant meat companies accountable.

While The Humane League works to build coalitions with other organizations and advocates, we also encourage our supporters to follow and support the organizations that are leading the fight for workers. If you’re looking for a place to start, we recommend supporting Venceremos, a worker-based organization in Arkansas, whose mission is to ensure the human rights of poultry workers, along with the Food Chain Workers Alliance, a coalition of worker-based organizations fighting to improve working conditions for all workers along the food chain.

Looking ahead

We believe our work as animal advocates must entail building a new food system with safe and healthy agricultural jobs—those that allow workers in rural communities to prosper, not suffer. Forcing the meat industry to reckon with the abuse of its workers is one step toward creating a food system in which no animal is used or abused.

As we align with other movements and build broader power to fight factory farming, we are giving animals an even stronger voice. Together, we can demand a future in which no animal suffers in a factory farm, and in which no human is forced to work in an environment as dangerous and cruel as a slaughterhouse.