Worker Rights

Undocumented workers and immigrants, upon whom industrial agriculture heavily relies, are paid unconscionably low wages while performing dangerous and backbreaking work. Often, these workers are the only witnesses to violations that threaten to sicken the public. With their livelihoods on the line and even the threat of deportation, most are afraid to speak out. The truth is that if terminated for whistleblowing, these workers would have little or no alternative job prospects. Moreover, these field and slaughterhouse workers enjoy little or no whistleblower protection under the law. Fortunately, there are some workers who manage to speak out safely and then advocate on the behalf of others.

Industrial agriculture has become an expansive presence in rural communities, where small local farms used to thrive. FIC believes that the voices from these communities need to be heard. For this reason, we support citizen activists. For example, FIC provided emergency counseling to a chicken farmer and safe food activist who received verbal and written threats from agribusiness behemoth Perdue: the corporation threatened to terminate her contract for questioning the safety of the poultry produced (arsenic was being used in the feed), demanding workers’ rights, and publicly speaking out against the industry at demonstrations and media events. This whistleblower is not alone – there are more farm workers who are afraid to speak out about wrongdoing they have witnessed. FIC stands ready to assist those who stand up against agribusiness.

In the Fields

Intensive farming operations and high-speed processing lines are efficient and productive, but often come with a human cost. In non-animal agriculture, the role of pesticides poses a particular problem. Most consumers are leery about pesticides in their own diet, but few are aware of the impact of these chemicals on agricultural workers. Often these pesticides are carcinogenic, and many are known endocrine disrupters that have devastating effects on human reproductive and neurological systems. They are especially toxic to children.

Another occupational safety hazard for farm workers is the inhalation of toxic gases and the airborne particulate waste associated with confined animal operations. Poultry workers suffer increased rates of respiratory illness as a result of breathing in the excrement of thousands of birds. In pig and cattle farms, pits of animal waste and manure also emit dangerously high levels of potentially lethal gases.

Slaughter and Processing

Food workers are exposed to an array of chemical disinfectants used to clean plant equipment and chemicals used on food to reduce pathogens. These chemicals pose various health issues among workers. For example, whistleblowers who work in chicken slaughter plants have reported illnesses associated with elevated levels of antimicrobial products applied to carcasses. A range of injuries are linked to these chemicals, from skin rashes and watery eyes to blisters and chronic bronchitis. Likewise, inspectors who work in beef slaughter are also subjected to chronic skin irritation as a result of the lactic acid sprays used to disinfect carcasses.

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