The Speed Kills You: The Voice of Nebraska’s Meat Packing Workers

[dcsmart]

Nebraska Appleseed recenlty released a major study of meatpacking worker health and safety. The report surveyed 455 workers in five communities across Nebraska -one of the country’s largest meat producers – to assess work conditions from the perspective of the workers who live it every day.

Almost ten years after Nebraska leadership created the Meatpacking Industry Workers Bill of Rights, workers describe crippling work speed, supervisor abuse, and still not being allowed to go to the bathroom. The report highlights the need for change and makes key recommendations that would improve safety conditions for the workers who bring food to our tables and who underpin one of the state’s most important industries. Nebraska produces one of every four steaks and hamburgers in the country.

Speed of work – including line speed and an adequate number of staff on the line – was the biggest concern among workers surveyed. 73% of workers surveyed stated that the speed of the line had increased in the past year. At the same time, 94% said that the number of staff had decreased or stayed the same. 62% of workers said they had been injured in the past year. As predicted by a 2006 U.S. Government Accountability Office study, this is far higher than the officially reported rate.

The crippling effect of repetitive motion injuries may not yet be well understood by the public, but making thousands of cuts per day can cause swollen hands, limbs curled beyond use. The gradual nature of the injury is insidious. Many disregard the initial pain, not recognizing its seriousness until muscles, tendons, and bones are damaged beyond repair, leaving individuals unable to perform even minimal daily tasks.
Text

The Speed Kills You: The Voice of Nebraska's Meat Packing Workers
http://www.neappleseed.org/
see in PDF above

FULL ARTICLE
http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/speedkills/

[Mimosa]

1. This is horrid: what can we do to help these workers?

I will do whatever i can to help. I would happily participate in a meat boycott and encourage others. Please let us know how to support the workers.

[dcsmart]

2. i will check into that, but here is something

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12122&printsafe=1



http://www.ufcw.org/about%5Fufcw/