Workers On the Line: Improving Jobs in Meat and Poultry Processing

Meat and poultry processing are core to our food supply chain. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes about 68 pounds of chicken, 48 pounds of pork, and 56 pounds of beef per year. Meanwhile, health and safety hazards are pervasive, and workers in these sectors face some of the harshest conditions in the US. They endure long hours on their feet, with few breaks, working with sharp tools at fast speeds. And they do so in cold, damp environments where exposure to various chemicals is common. Not surprisingly, severe injuries and even fatalities occur frequently. Adding insult to (literal) injury, many don’t receive the pay or benefits needed to be economically secure. These conditions affect some of our most vulnerable compatriots, including undocumented workers and even children who have been found to be working in these facilities. These challenges are not new — Upton Sinclair famously described them in “The Jungle” over 100 years ago — but they can be solved. In this conversation — co-hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Food & Society Program and Economic Opportunities Program — panelists discuss the challenges workers face, ideas for improving their jobs and well-being, and the policies and practices to reshape this industry and build a sustainable system where workers, consumers, and businesses thrive together. Speakers include Shelly Anand (Sur Legal Collaborative), Debbie Berkowitz (Georgetown University), Kim Cordova (UFCW Local 7), Dr. Angela Stuesse (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and moderator Leah Douglas (Reuters). This conversation took place on March 19, 2024. It is the second event in our series, “The Hands that Feed Us: Job Quality Challenges in the US Food Supply Chain,” in which we explore the challenges food workers face and opportunities to create a sustainable food system where workers, businesses, and consumers can thrive together. For more information, including speaker bios and additional resources, visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/workers-on-the-line-improving-jobs-in-meat-and-poultry-processing/ For highlights from this discussion and others, subscribe to EOP’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AspenEOP Or subscribe to the “Opportunity in America” podcast to listen on the go: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aspeneop