It is interesting to note that most of the workers in the Chicago stockyards in 1906 were immigrants, just as today, and they had their rights trampled in much the same way many of the plants are accused of violating rights even today. Thus, the safety and human rights issues may have improved, but certainly not as much as one would think they would have. I believe many of the corporations are still mired in greed and corruption just as they were at the turn of the 20th century, and they will never change unless they are forced to change by the people and stricter laws. It is clear that reports and sanctions do not make a difference; they simply dispute them and continue to subjugate and mistreat their workers. They may think they have advanced from the time of Sinclair's powerful novel, but indeed they have not, which is a sad testament and legacy to the industry and its leading corporations. Another Nebraska study, by the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest uncovered similar results. They report that immigrant workers often do not know or understand their rights, and even if they do they are afraid to stand up for these rights in fear of losing their jobs (Editors). As Sinclair's book shows, many of the immigrants working in meatpacking plants also do not speak English as their native language, and so they may have trouble understanding instructions and operating machinery. Without accurate translators, this can translate into serious injuries for many workers - something the industry should be striving to change if they are going to continue to employ numerous immigrant workers. For...
The Editors note, "Anecdotal evidence [...] suggests a decrease in acute injuries in plants, but an increase in injuries caused by repetitive work motions. A common complaint among workers was the speed with which they have to prepare meat that is moved along automated production lines" (Editors). The companies "encourage" them to work as fast as they can, regardless of injury, and then often deny workers' compensation claims after injuries occur (Editors). The meatpacking companies continue to defend themselves, but studies indicate much more needs to be done to defend immigrant workers in their right to safety in the industry.
Human Rights Crisis in the Meatpacking Industry Meatpacking Industry Safety Standards Meatpacking workers have historically been exposed to some of the most dangerous work conditions, resulting in one of the highest injury rates of any occupation in the United States. Between the years 1980 and 1985 the injury rate was three-fold higher for meatpacking plant workers than for all other manufacturing industries (Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA], 1988) and in 2000
Dangerous conditions are cheaper for companies - and the government does next to nothing." Milo Mumgaard, who is executive director of the Nebraska Appleseed Center in Omaha, said (in the Lincoln Journal Star) the Human Rights Watch report will be "very influential at the national and international levels." It will be especially helpful, Mumgaard explained, "in arguing for national regulation of line speed" in the meatpacking slaughterhouses. The Human Rights Watch
Thus, employees are discouraged from reporting abuses and safety issues because of fear of retaliation. As noted, if they are illegal immigrants, they fear deportation or reporting to INS, and they fear losing their jobs, and so, they do not report safety issues that could be life threatening. Retaliation should not occur, and a worker should not have to fear for their livelihood just to protect themselves and their
Physical Hazards of Slaughterhouse Workers The Nature of Slaughterhouse Work Musculoskeletal Disorders Diseases Trauma Burns Hearing Safeguards Ergonomics Dangerous Equipment Reporting and Organizational Culture Slaughterhouses are among the most hazardous workplace environments, and represent a significant challenge for industrial hygienists. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common form, and are typically related to repetitive stress. Workers in this industry are asked to perform routine tasks at a sustained high rate of speed, and the use of advanced ergonomics is not universal in
If the foundations of the NLRA are to be supported, the illegal worker will need to be provided with the complete display of NLRA solutions. With that said, the tension still remains. Key Issues Statistics do show that illegal aliens are accounting for 21% of the foreign born populace in the U.S. In 2000 with that amount snowballing to 30% by 2005(Abraham, 2002). With numbers progressively going up each year, a
Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" In 1906, a book was published that remains controversial in some circles more than one hundred years later. "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair was a journalist's fictionalized account of worker conditions in the meatpacking industry and slums of Chicago. The book was supposed to be about how laborers as a whole were victimized by ruthless bosses and an uncaring government, but it became about the meatpacking
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