An online blog for students enrolled in FRSM 1000 (Xavier, New Orleans & the World) on the intersections of food culture and popular culture.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Blog 8: The Most Dangerous Job
According the Eric Schlosser, "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." What makes the job so dangerous, and how are injured workers typically treated, administratively and medically? Why? (172-174)
After reading Chapter Eight, I do agree with Schlosser. Meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the United States. It is so dangerous, because of the equipment the workers have to use and the small work space they workers are allowed. There are safety equipments for the workers to utilize, but the knives always get through somehow. Also, it is terribly inhumane. With this industry, you see horrible actions performed by the workers’ supervisors and greed plays a part in it. Illegal immigrants make up the majority of the workers in this industry. Due to the fact that they are working “at will”, they can get fired at any time. This discourages the workers to report their injuries. Any complaints from the illegal workers may lead to instant job termination. Also, the meatpacking company’s rewards and bonuses are based on the injury rates of their workers. So instead of reporting the injury incidents, the supervisor sends the worker off to the company doctor. This company doctor, in turn, tells the worker that the injury is not severe and may return to work the next day. This is all to make money. The supervisor does not report the incident and get a bonus for it. Also, the company makes more money, because the injured worker is back on the assembly line working for them, instead of healing at home. Corruption is evident in this industry. Human workers are not treated as humans. They are worked to death and lied to. What makes this industry worse is that there are organizations that fight for better working conditions for these workers, but the organizations are deceived whenever they visit the factory. The factory keeps two logs: one log actually contain the real number of injuries occurred on the job and one log keeps a substantially smaller number of those injuries. Also, whenever deaths occur, the factories get fined a small amount of money. It is horrible that five hundred dollars is the cost of a human life. This industry shows corruption at its best.
Meatpacking is the "most dangerous job in the United States" for many reasons. The injury rate inside of a slaughterhouse is three times higher than a typical factory. However, this number is less than the actual number because some injuries are not reported. Most of the work done in these meatpacking factories are done by hand and with sharp objects like knives. The mina injury people get are lacerations either by stabbing themselves or stabbing someone working near them. Meatpackers even develop back problems and carpal tunnel syndrome. Workers are injured mainly because of the constant pressure of trying to keep up with the assembly line.
Workers who are injured sometimes do not report their injury. Most workers are illegal immigrants and when they are injured, they do not report their injuries because they do not want to get caught being in the United States illegally. Also, some injuries go unreported because fewer injuries equal more money. Usually, when a person is injured and it goes unreported, the supervisor will put them into an easier position for a while until they feel better. The supervisors like this because they abide to the "unwritten rules," therefore they get treated better. Those who do go to a doctor are frowned upon and made an example.
I agree with Schlosser in Chapter eight about the meatpacking industry being the most dangerous job in America. The workers work in a small, bloodied room full of people. It's purpose is to convert cows into the nicely pack meats we see in our grocery stores. There is a huge difference between the poultry plants and the slaughter houses. The slaughter houses has all of their labor done by hand. What makes the job so dangerous is that the workers work around sharp objects ,like knives, and suffers injuries from it. They do have safety equipment but workers can always get hurt when working with knives. The strive for the administration to make money plays a major role in the treatment of the workers. For example, a plethora of the workforce is composed of illegal immigrants for the simple fact that they can't report if their is an violation in the company because if they do then the chances are, they will be deported. Another way that workers are badly treated is medically. If they are injured on the job then they are sent to the companies doctor and he is basically gonna just patch them up and send them back to work. This way the administration will make money because instead of giving their employee time to heal; he will be back at work making more money for them. Schlosser noticed a lot of dishonesty within the industry and wanted his readers to know about it. The company really doesn't care about its workers; it just cares about making money. The sad thing is whenever a person dies within the company. They can get away with just paying a small fee. I guess that Schlosser was right meatpacking is the most dangerous industry because at the end of the day they will do anything to make money.
In chapter 8, Schlosser talks about how dangerous slaughterhouse jobs are. He says that meatpacking jobs are the most dangerous jobs in the United States. These jobs are the most dangerous because they have a higher rate of being injured. There are records showing that meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the country and there are even injuries that are unrecorded. These jobs are dangerous because of the working conditions. Most of the workers are immigrants so they won’t be treated fairly. The slaughterhouses they work in are small and they are filled with dangerous machinery such as conveyor belts, forklifts, dehiding machines, and other power tools. Since they are immigrants, managers and supervisors don’t really care about their workers health. They would only care up to the point where they need them to keep the factory running. Supervisors and managers are able to do whatever they want with their workers even fire them. Also, workers didn’t want to report their injury because it can cause them to be fired and it can cause them to be caught for being an illegal immigrant. The managers offered the workers that if they didn’t report their injury that they would get to do an easier job. When a worker gets injured, sometimes the manager will send the worker to a doctor that works for the company and that doctor will say that the worker isn’t badly injured and that they can work as soon as possible instead of get days or weeks off of work. The company does this in order to make money. If the there are workers working then that means the factory continues to run and it allows them to make more money.
Eric Schlosser is truthful when he stated, “Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States.” Most of the workers in these factories are illegal immigrants. Because they never learned about human rights in the U.S., they do not understand that there are certain working conditions that every worker should have. Most workers in these factories are in small, cramped, spaces. The workers stand for eight hours a day, doing the exact same thing over and over; slicing a piece of meat, knocking a cow unconscious, slitting a cow’s throat at the exact same spot every time. The job is very morbid and boring. They wear heavy protective gear for their uniform, making their range of motion very limited. There are knives, hooks, machines and conveyor belts that one can easily become caught in. Over a quarter of all workers in the meatpacking industry has had an injury that required medical attention beyond first aid. With companies speeding up the pace of the disassembly line over the years makes the job evermore dangerous. The supervisors in these factories are ruthless. Many will get rid of a worker in a heartbeat if they are found to be working too slowly or can no longer work to their full potential due to injury or an event. When Schlosser visited the factory he stated the workers were sweating in a room that was forty degrees. It may be because of the stress of wanting to keep their job. One mistake could count heavily against them. Supervisors may also provide their workers with drugs, giving them the feeling of being energized, when really their putting themselves at risk of making more mistakes due to lack of focus. Supervisors also discourage workers from reporting injuries because the injury rate determines the bonuses of the supervisors. Supervisors may put injured workers on an easier job to give them time to heal, however more debilitating injuries like missing limbs may cause the worker their job. In order to hide the factories injury rate, death rate, and “off-the-books” workers, supervisors keep two separate logs; one for their own records and one for the unions and humane organizations.
In chapter 8, Schlossar states, "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States". In the book his reasons for coming up with this conclusion is the rate of injury in a slaughter house. He believe that meatpacking is the most dangerous job because a lot of workers or hurt daily. Meatpacking not only hurt you externally but it can hurt you internally. You can become sick with many diseases just from meatpacking. The book states that,"Despite the use of conveyer belts, forklifts, dehiding machines, and a variety of power tools, most of the work is done by hand". This means that workers not only get hurt by the equipment they use but they also are at risk by the manual work they do. It is said that lacerations are the most common injuries in meatpacking. Most of the workers can either cut themselves and/or cut somebody that is working near by them. Basically, any job that one may have meatpacking is dangerous and come result in many injuries and illnesses. In the book, most workers said that they are pressured to not tell about the injuries they may have. This is because the jobs bonus is based highly on the injury rate. In other words the care about the injury of workers is little to none. These jobs only care about the money they make and not the well-being and health of their workers. Some of the workers injuries go way pass the need for a first-aid kit. Also, the book states,"If a worker agrees not to report an injury, a supervisor will usually shift him or her to an easier job for a while, providing some time to heal". So even though the worker is hurt if they agree not to report it they don't get a time off they just get an easier job. For an immigrant the circumstances are a little different. If a Mexican is hurt they have the choice to go home and heal for a while and then when done healing can come back to the United States and continue to work. I believe that is just so the slaughterhouse will not have any attention drawn to them about the immigrant.
In chapter 8, Schlosser states “Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States” and explains how the “injury rate in a slaughterhouse is about three times higher than the rate in a typical American factory.” “It is roughly thirty-three times higher than the national average in industry.” There are records showing how the meatpacking industry has become the most dangerous job from the reports of injuries in a slaughterhouse. In some slaughterhouses, injuries aren’t reported for these following reasons; a meatpacker doesn’t want to lose their job and the supervisors bribe their workers with an annual bonus raise, if their injury rate is low.
What makes the meatpacking jobs dangerous are the working conditions that the slaughterhouses have. It’s more of a human labor rather than machinery work; the workers aren’t protected from getting injured from doing the job by hand or machine. The work done by hand is with a sharp knife which is the most important tool in a slaughterhouse. Even though the meatpackers have safety equipment on it doesn’t prevent them from getting hurt. The sharp knives are extremely dangerous because a worker can stab themselves or a co-worker and get Lacercation, the most common injury suffered by meatpackers. Workers often bring their knives homes to keep the edges smooth sharp and sanded, but when the knife is dull the injury is more crucial. When the knife is dull, additional pressure is placed on the worked tendons, joints, and nerves. “A dull knife can cause pain to extend from the cutting hand all the way down the spine”. In general when getting cut by the sharp knife a meatpacker can get tendinitis, trauma disorders, back pains, shoulder problems, carpal tunnel disease, and trigger finger. Trigger finger is a syndrome in which a finger becomes frozen in a curled position. When a worker is injured and the injury isn’t severe the worker is told that he or she can return to work tomorrow or is shifted to an easier job for a while.
When Eric Schlosser said that the meatpacking jobs are the most dangerous jobs in the United States he is absolutely correct. Based on the information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are several men and women who have serious work related injuries. Schlosser also states that thousands of additional injuries and illnesses most likely go unrecorded. Many of the people working in the meatpacking factories suffer because of the speed of the line. The faster the line goes the more likely injuries happen based on the information provided by a former Monfort nurse. Many of the workers suffered from lacerations because they were constantly accidentally stabbing themselves with knives. There were also other diseases that workers contracted while working on the line like Tendinitis and trauma disorders. Overtime workers developed back and shoulder problems. Most of the workers had to take their knives home to sharpen them because a dull knife meant more work to cut the meat which caused more problems in the tendons, joints, and nerves. The meatpacking industry has workers who work so close to many dangerous machines making it easy for them to get severely hurt.
Many of the meatpacking businesses like ConArg, IBP, and Excel have tried to increase their profits so they speed up the line. According to Schlosser the faster the pace of the line the more money the company will make. Supervisors abuse their workers by giving them a drug called “crank” which makes the worker to feel as if they are full of energy. Workers who use this drug are more susceptible to get hurt because they are high on methamphetamine and a slaughterhouse is not the place to be high. Many of the workers have to take the abuse because most of them are illegal immigrants and are generally employed “at will” which means they can be let go for no reason. The companies do not want to slow the pace of line and protect their workers because they will be at a competitive disadvantage.
After reading this past chapter I have to agree with Schlosser when he say's that the jobs in the slaughter house's of America is a very dangerous one if not one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. Schlosser brings his attention to the fact that these lines are not work by machines but by live human hands, ultimately putting them around deadly machines that one may call weapons. Because these lines are ran by humans they have to push them to work at fast paces to keep up with the production goal of the month. Pushing these individuals to speed in such a tedious task will and has resulted in injury. In this work force not only are the workers pushed to speed in this horrendous task but they are pushed to keep quiet and to quit. The supervisor's tend to have no remorse giving these employees little if any respect at all. These factories have even went to the extreme's of hiring illegal immigrant's ultimately using a form of "black mail" to with hold these individuals of keeping there mouth closed and to keep working some even womanizing there employees ultimately getting sexual deeds for promotions. There are even outside hire's similar to temps, the average person trying to find work with little to no skill to clean this factory filled with tools of destruction that have killed several in the past.All in all this job has it's flaws and I would not advise a soul to work at such a life threatening place.
Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States. Schlosser writes that the injury rate in a slaughterhouse is about three times higher than the rate in a typical American factory and every year more than one-quarter of the meatpacking workers suffer an injury or a work-related illness that requires medical attention. There are strong evidence that thousands of additional injuries and illnesses occur unrecorded. Most of the work in the nation's slaughterhouse is still performed by hand. One of the leading determinants of the injury rate at a slaughterhouse today is the speed of the disassembly lines. The faster is runs, the more likely the workers will get hurt. The most important tool in a slaughterhouse is a sharp knife. Workers often forget to resharpen their knives and as the pace increases, so does the risk of accidental cuts and stabbings. Injured workers typically get treated administratively and medically poorly. Workers are under tremendous pressure to not report injuries. If a worker agrees to not report an injury, a supervisor will usually shift him or her to an easier job. Injured workers are a drag on profits. They are less productive, are often given unpleasant tasks in the slaughterhouse, and their hourly wages are cut.
The meatpacking job is a very dangerous job because of the work space and machinery the workers have to use to complete their work. There are many dangerous outcomes that come with operating these machines, such as injuries that can be fatal. The idea of getting money can override the thought of safety for the owners, managers, and supervisors. The way they treat their employments could be so careless because they know that in the end, they will get paid either way. Since so many people in the United States are in need of a job, the employers have no need to care about how the workers feel or being treated because there is always someone to replace them. Many factories may hire illegal immigrants because they can pay them for cheap and most would be too scared to report their conditions to authorities and it is also easier to fire them. There is also a high possibility that injuries that take place by these illegal workers or any worker will go unannounced because these places make money based off of the low-injury rate taken place at these factories. But the injury can’t go untreated, so the injured worker may go see the local medical person hired by the company for any treatment needed; that’s if the “doctor” knows how to treat it. Sometimes the supervisor may offer an easier job for the worker to do until they feel better enough to go do their past task. Do to this process, the company keeps the worker, and makes more money.
In Chapter eight of this book, Schlosser says that "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." He then backs up him claim with undeniable evidence that exposes this industry for what it really is. This job has one of the highest injury rates in America even though many of the injuries that take place are not even reported. The reasons for the constant and usually severe injuries to the workers are because of the nature of the objects and lack of space. The workers are in contact with power tools, forklifts, conveyor belts, dehiding machines, knives, and other sharp objects everyday. Many workers experience minor and severe lacerations from knives and other sharp object because they accidentally stab themselves. These stabbings are not just because the workers are clumsy. This can be attributed to the speed at which the production line moves. It moves faster than some workers can handle for hours. The lines moves at this speed because the supervisors, managers, and executives want to produce more meat faster. While working in the production line and factory, workers also can contract various diseases like Tendinitis and trauma disorders. Others developed back pains and shoulder problems. Many of these workers also happen to be illegal immigrants which opens the door for relentless exploitation. The supervisors have little concern for these people. They discourage reporting injuries with the threat to simply fire those who complain and also benefit personally from it. The less injuries there are the better bonus a supervisor can receive. Even when a supervisor has no choice but to fill out an injury report, he sends the injuried worker to the company doctor who also is on their payroll. This doctor pretty much gives them a band-aid and sends them on there way back to work. These workers don’t get time off or compensation. This treatment of workers is disgusting and shows the real nature of this industry.
As Schlosser mentions in Chapter 8, the job titles of the workers in the slaughter house outline the dangers and cruelty of the work that is taking place. Knuckle Dropper, Naval Boner, and Feed Kill Chain are a few names that describe the activities. Not only does the daytime slaughter house workers experience horrifying conditions, but also the night sanitation crew. Spraying the 180 degree mixture of water and chlorine solution fogs up the goggles of the workers, in result many of the workers continue to work blinded by the fog and mistakenly sprays other workers with the scorching solution. Workers who aren’t sprayed are still being harmed by inhaling the hazardous chemical. This all happens while the conveyer belts and machinery are on and running, which disables the workers from hearing each other. Workers are treated horribly while on the job. Many are cursed out, belittled, and even sexually harassed, but they don’t retaliate because they are afraid of losing their job, or being deported back to their native country. Some individuals continue to work, because it may be their only source of income to provide for their family, and this job is better paying than a job back in their native country. Schlosser also mentions how the companies make the efficiency of the machinery more of a priority than the safety of the workers. As the speeds of the disassembly lines increase, so did the number of injuries suffered. The main concern of the company is to make as much money as possible, the quickest way possible. This brings me to the topic of how many supervisors of slaughterhouses send their injured workers to the company doctor, who tells them they are able to work regardless of how severe their injury may be. This allows the company to keep a worker and keep the fast pace of the disassembly line, as a result they continue to keep the efficiency and profit the same.
In Chapter 7, Schlosser indicates how dangerous meatpacking is as a job. The workers work together in a small confined space extremely close to each other while using huge knives. The workers can easily cut themselves or the people working right next to them. These workers are usually illegal immigrants who come to the United States to find a job, and they are willing to do anything to get money. Among these illegal immigrants are the sanitary workers, who definitely get the full wrath of the meatpacking industry since they have to clean it up. These workers experience huge amounts of chemicals and high temperatures. They stand on conveyor belts, which are sometimes up to 15 feet in the air. The workers spray hot chemicals to clean the blood off of everything, which usually end up burning other workers because of the low visibility rate. Cleaning the vents is the scariest, says Jesus, because he is always scared a gust of wind will sweep him off the roof into darkness in the middle of the icy winter season. The slaughterhouse workers usually do not even report injuries, and their injury rate is three times higher than other factory workers. The high injury rate is caused by the fast moving process line, the faster the line moves the more injuries are reported. The deaths of many slaughterhouse workers are gruesome, literally being shred to pieces or ground up inside of these huge machines. Most of the workers that are injured usually do not file for worker’s compensation, and they just return to work right away while in excruciating pain because that is how bad these workers need the money to support their families. The workers are use by the companies and taken advantage of and just tossed in the dumps when they are no longer useful.
Meatpacking is the most dangerous job in America. There are so many ways to get injured in the meatpacking plants and factories. Different types of machinery are everywhere which can rip you to shreds. Everyone has knifes that they use to cut the meat. Knifes may not be properly cleaned because the companies want you to get more do faster. This causes germs to be everywhere and the food to be overly dirty. Companies are under enormous pressure to speed up their lines, which can lead to injuries and dangerous food, Schlosser wrote. "The three meat packing giants -- ConAgra, IBP and Excel -- try to increase their earnings by maximizing the volume of production at each plant." People have gotten sick from these unsanitary and unfit conditions. Workers get slashed, burned, scarred, or even kill. Most of the people working in the meatpacking industry were illegal European immigrants. In the past the companies didn’t even care about the people who worked there. One guy had gotten diced up and feed to other human beings without them even knowing what that had eaten. Workers were not treated as humans. You might as well say that the workers were machines. Works could be seriously hurt but the doctor would tell them that they were ok so they could work the next day and the companies wouldn't have to pay them bonuses for their injuries. Also when someone dies the company is only fined a small 500 dollar fee. That’s a small thing to a giant. The people have many laws made to protect the people from the terrible inhuman conditions that the meatpacking companies have for their workers. Although it is still not safe today the working conditions of the people have improved and they now teach workers about safety before they enter the work field.
In Chapter 8, Schlosser talks about the dangers of working in the meatpacking industry. The meatpacking job is very dangerous because of the abnormal working conditions. Meatpackers often work within inches of each other using knives in a swift, fast-pace environment. . Most work performed by slaughterhouses is still performed by hand. The most important tool in a modern slaughterhouse is a sharp knife. Using a knife is always dangerous, especially under the slaughterhouse working conditions. Lacerations are the most common injuries suffered by meatpackers. However, risk of many other injuries and trauma disorders are also suffered by workers of the meatpacking industry. One of the leading determinants of the injury rate at a slaughterhouse is the speed of the disassembly line. The faster it runs, the more likely it is for a worker to get hurt. Workers must move swiftly and focus on the assembly line as the speed increases, however with a speedier pace many knives go unsharpened and more knives are accidently ejected from workers hands. Injured workers are treated badly administratively and medically. Majority of workers are immigrants. Immigrants are treated with no respect and can be fired at any time. Many workers are employed “at will” which means they can be fired without warning for any reason. Afraid of a horrible outcome, many workers don’t lodge complaints for this reason. Typically, Injured workers are ignored; many injuries and illnesses most likely go unrecorded. Workers are under tremendous pressure not to report injuries. Injured workers are given the most unpleasant jobs and their hourly wages are also cut. To keep up with the pressure of the meatpacking industry many supervisors sell methamphetamine “crank” to workers or supply it free in exchange for favors to “help workers. This also increases the great risk of injuries in the meatpacking industry.
The meat packing industry is now the most dangerous job to have in the United States. The meat packing industry is the most dangerous job because of all of the injury risks that are involved. The working conditions are very harsh in the meat packing industry. It is dangerous because of the always close contact with very dangerous working objects. They work along side dangerous machines, knives, saws, and other dangerous and sharp objects. When the workers are working with the assembly line, the workers have to be extra careful that they do not get close enough to the machines that they would hurt themselves. The pay is also not very good. The majority of the workers in the meat packing industry are immigrants. Since the immigrants are always looking for work, the pay does not matter to them. They are also treated very poorly. The immigrants are not treated very well because them are immigrants. If the workers get hurt, the company calls a doctor, hired by the company, to do their job to try and help the injured worker.
I agree with Schlosser in saying "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." I agree with this because Schlosser tells us about the dangers of the meatpacking business. The equipment is dangerous, work spaces are small, and the employees are treated poorly. Injured workers are typically treated with no type of remorse. They aren't treated properly or with the respect that is deserved. Society might not see this as being the most dangerous job because most of the injuries don't get reported and the people in the society doesn't know exactly what goes on in this business.
According to chapter eight, meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. There are a few reasons as to why this is. One would be the work space provided. The space provided isn’t enough necessary for the job. Another reason is that it is unsanitary, which can lead to sickness and injury. The injury rate in these slaughter houses is a lot higher than in regular factories. And because of all of the “at will” workers that can get fired at any time for any reason, many of the workers don’t report their injuries. They are “at will” workers because most of them are illegal immigrants trying to make a living here in the U.S. by any way possible. Also some rewards and benefits may be taken away for such reports and/or complaints. This industry is all about making money and will slip through any loopholes, even if it means putting working people in danger. This is further shown when a worker goes to the company doctor for treatment, as they will do as little as necessary to help, but will persuade the worker to continuue working.
After reading chapter eight, Schlosser talks about how dangerous the jobs of the meatpacking industry are. Schlosser refers to the meatpacking industry as being the “worst job in the United States”. Schlosser explained that meatpacking is the most dangerous job because the employees have a higher rate of being hurt or injured. The work conditions of meatpacking are crucial because workers have many harmful injuries recorded and unrecorded. The slaughterhouses have harmful machinery and tools that can sometimes be deadly. Many immigrants are the employees of these jobs and they get treated unfairly. The managers and big CEO’s really don’t care about their workers. They have mediocre standards and only care for their workers until the risk of staying opening. The most shocking news is that if worker doses die from their job, mangers could pay only a small fee to get away with the chargers. Workers rarely and don’t want to report their injuries because of the fear of getting fired. Workers are promised an easier job if they don’t report the injury. The heavy protective gear that workers wear provides them with limit motion which can be detrimental in certain circumstances. Along with harmful conditions, workers are given drugs to help them feel energized. Supervisors do not report these injuries because with limited injuries supervisors receive big bonuses. First-aid-kits are required in the work area but some work conditions go way beyond that. The lifelong effects of working in these slaughter houses are tremendous. Many workers have pains and aches that can last them a lifetime. Increase pay is one of many tactics supervisors use to speed up the production.
I was in utter amazement is disgust after reading chapter eight. I gained insight on the shadows that hide in the meat packing industry. The meat packing industry has become one of the most dangerous jobs in the fast food industry due the impact and well being of workers. As Schlosser reveals, the well being of the workers are not a main focus to the owners of the companies. Many of the workers are of low income families and families in poverty. Schlosser also lets readers know that these families involved and employed by the meat packing companies are immigrants. Of course these immigrants have a great need and desire for their jobs so they would do whatever it takes to keep it. Unfortunately, “whatever it takes” consist of workers not reporting their injuries that occur on the job site. They are rewarded for their silence by a bonus in their checks by the company’s owner. The least amount of injuries reported the more money the company can receive. The companies are only governed to pay a small portion such as hundreds of dollars for the deaths that are caused by their horrible working conditions. Workers are to work to full ability in a small space. The lives of these workers are at stake due to the greed and selfish desire of the industries owners.
The meatpacking plant has the most dangerous job because of the work conditions. The owners of the meatpacking plant tries to speed up production which causes the workers to become injuried because they can not keep up. If the line is sped up that can also mean the workers don't have time to clean their knives. The workers are treated very poorly. A meatpacking plant is a drab place. Most meatpacking plant owners do not follow the heath code. There is blood everywhere the instruments they use are unsanitary. The meatpacking plant is a high risk job and some owners tend to higher illegal aliens to work because they can not complain about work conditions.
Nancy Pham
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Chapter Eight, I do agree with Schlosser. Meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the United States. It is so dangerous, because of the equipment the workers have to use and the small work space they workers are allowed. There are safety equipments for the workers to utilize, but the knives always get through somehow. Also, it is terribly inhumane. With this industry, you see horrible actions performed by the workers’ supervisors and greed plays a part in it. Illegal immigrants make up the majority of the workers in this industry. Due to the fact that they are working “at will”, they can get fired at any time. This discourages the workers to report their injuries. Any complaints from the illegal workers may lead to instant job termination. Also, the meatpacking company’s rewards and bonuses are based on the injury rates of their workers. So instead of reporting the injury incidents, the supervisor sends the worker off to the company doctor. This company doctor, in turn, tells the worker that the injury is not severe and may return to work the next day. This is all to make money. The supervisor does not report the incident and get a bonus for it. Also, the company makes more money, because the injured worker is back on the assembly line working for them, instead of healing at home. Corruption is evident in this industry. Human workers are not treated as humans. They are worked to death and lied to. What makes this industry worse is that there are organizations that fight for better working conditions for these workers, but the organizations are deceived whenever they visit the factory. The factory keeps two logs: one log actually contain the real number of injuries occurred on the job and one log keeps a substantially smaller number of those injuries. Also, whenever deaths occur, the factories get fined a small amount of money. It is horrible that five hundred dollars is the cost of a human life. This industry shows corruption at its best.
Minh Luan Nguyen
ReplyDeleteMeatpacking is the "most dangerous job in the United States" for many reasons. The injury rate inside of a slaughterhouse is three times higher than a typical factory. However, this number is less than the actual number because some injuries are not reported. Most of the work done in these meatpacking factories are done by hand and with sharp objects like knives. The mina injury people get are lacerations either by stabbing themselves or stabbing someone working near them. Meatpackers even develop back problems and carpal tunnel syndrome. Workers are injured mainly because of the constant pressure of trying to keep up with the assembly line.
Workers who are injured sometimes do not report their injury. Most workers are illegal immigrants and when they are injured, they do not report their injuries because they do not want to get caught being in the United States illegally. Also, some injuries go unreported because fewer injuries equal more money. Usually, when a person is injured and it goes unreported, the supervisor will put them into an easier position for a while until they feel better. The supervisors like this because they abide to the "unwritten rules," therefore they get treated better. Those who do go to a doctor are frowned upon and made an example.
I agree with Schlosser in Chapter eight about the meatpacking industry being the most dangerous job in America. The workers work in a small, bloodied room full of people. It's purpose is to convert cows into the nicely pack meats we see in our grocery stores. There is a huge difference between the poultry plants and the slaughter houses. The slaughter houses has all of their labor done by hand. What makes the job so dangerous is that the workers work around sharp objects ,like knives, and suffers injuries from it. They do have safety equipment but workers can always get hurt when working with knives. The strive for the administration to make money plays a major role in the treatment of the workers. For example, a plethora of the workforce is composed of illegal immigrants for the simple fact that they can't report if their is an violation in the company because if they do then the chances are, they will be deported. Another way that workers are badly treated is medically. If they are injured on the job then they are sent to the companies doctor and he is basically gonna just patch them up and send them back to work. This way the administration will make money because instead of giving their employee time to heal; he will be back at work making more money for them. Schlosser noticed a lot of dishonesty within the industry and wanted his readers to know about it. The company really doesn't care about its workers; it just cares about making money. The sad thing is whenever a person dies within the company. They can get away with just paying a small fee. I guess that Schlosser was right meatpacking is the most dangerous industry because at the end of the day they will do anything to make money.
ReplyDeletePeter Huynh
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 8, Schlosser talks about how dangerous slaughterhouse jobs are. He says that meatpacking jobs are the most dangerous jobs in the United States. These jobs are the most dangerous because they have a higher rate of being injured. There are records showing that meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the country and there are even injuries that are unrecorded. These jobs are dangerous because of the working conditions. Most of the workers are immigrants so they won’t be treated fairly. The slaughterhouses they work in are small and they are filled with dangerous machinery such as conveyor belts, forklifts, dehiding machines, and other power tools. Since they are immigrants, managers and supervisors don’t really care about their workers health. They would only care up to the point where they need them to keep the factory running. Supervisors and managers are able to do whatever they want with their workers even fire them. Also, workers didn’t want to report their injury because it can cause them to be fired and it can cause them to be caught for being an illegal immigrant. The managers offered the workers that if they didn’t report their injury that they would get to do an easier job. When a worker gets injured, sometimes the manager will send the worker to a doctor that works for the company and that doctor will say that the worker isn’t badly injured and that they can work as soon as possible instead of get days or weeks off of work. The company does this in order to make money. If the there are workers working then that means the factory continues to run and it allows them to make more money.
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ReplyDeleteMahalia Dees
ReplyDeleteEric Schlosser is truthful when he stated, “Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States.” Most of the workers in these factories are illegal immigrants. Because they never learned about human rights in the U.S., they do not understand that there are certain working conditions that every worker should have. Most workers in these factories are in small, cramped, spaces. The workers stand for eight hours a day, doing the exact same thing over and over; slicing a piece of meat, knocking a cow unconscious, slitting a cow’s throat at the exact same spot every time. The job is very morbid and boring.
They wear heavy protective gear for their uniform, making their range of motion very limited. There are knives, hooks, machines and conveyor belts that one can easily become caught in. Over a quarter of all workers in the meatpacking industry has had an injury that required medical attention beyond first aid. With companies speeding up the pace of the disassembly line over the years makes the job evermore dangerous.
The supervisors in these factories are ruthless. Many will get rid of a worker in a heartbeat if they are found to be working too slowly or can no longer work to their full potential due to injury or an event. When Schlosser visited the factory he stated the workers were sweating in a room that was forty degrees. It may be because of the stress of wanting to keep their job. One mistake could count heavily against them. Supervisors may also provide their workers with drugs, giving them the feeling of being energized, when really their putting themselves at risk of making more mistakes due to lack of focus. Supervisors also discourage workers from reporting injuries because the injury rate determines the bonuses of the supervisors. Supervisors may put injured workers on an easier job to give them time to heal, however more debilitating injuries like missing limbs may cause the worker their job. In order to hide the factories injury rate, death rate, and “off-the-books” workers, supervisors keep two separate logs; one for their own records and one for the unions and humane organizations.
Kelly Johnson
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 8, Schlossar states, "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States". In the book his reasons for coming up with this conclusion is the rate of injury in a slaughter house. He believe that meatpacking is the most dangerous job because a lot of workers or hurt daily. Meatpacking not only hurt you externally but it can hurt you internally. You can become sick with many diseases just from meatpacking. The book states that,"Despite the use of conveyer belts, forklifts, dehiding machines, and a variety of power tools, most of the work is done by hand". This means that workers not only get hurt by the equipment they use but they also are at risk by the manual work they do. It is said that lacerations are the most common injuries in meatpacking. Most of the workers can either cut themselves and/or cut somebody that is working near by them. Basically, any job that one may have meatpacking is dangerous and come result in many injuries and illnesses.
In the book, most workers said that they are pressured to not tell about the injuries they may have. This is because the jobs bonus is based highly on the injury rate. In other words the care about the injury of workers is little to none. These jobs only care about the money they make and not the well-being and health of their workers. Some of the workers injuries go way pass the need for a first-aid kit. Also, the book states,"If a worker agrees not to report an injury, a supervisor will usually shift him or her to an easier job for a while, providing some time to heal". So even though the worker is hurt if they agree not to report it they don't get a time off they just get an easier job. For an immigrant the circumstances are a little different. If a Mexican is hurt they have the choice to go home and heal for a while and then when done healing can come back to the United States and continue to work. I believe that is just so the slaughterhouse will not have any attention drawn to them about the immigrant.
In chapter 8, Schlosser states “Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States” and explains how the “injury rate in a slaughterhouse is about three times higher than the rate in a typical American factory.” “It is roughly thirty-three times higher than the national average in industry.” There are records showing how the meatpacking industry has become the most dangerous job from the reports of injuries in a slaughterhouse. In some slaughterhouses, injuries aren’t reported for these following reasons; a meatpacker doesn’t want to lose their job and the supervisors bribe their workers with an annual bonus raise, if their injury rate is low.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes the meatpacking jobs dangerous are the working conditions that the slaughterhouses have. It’s more of a human labor rather than machinery work; the workers aren’t protected from getting injured from doing the job by hand or machine. The work done by hand is with a sharp knife which is the most important tool in a slaughterhouse. Even though the meatpackers have safety equipment on it doesn’t prevent them from getting hurt. The sharp knives are extremely dangerous because a worker can stab themselves or a co-worker and get Lacercation, the most common injury suffered by meatpackers. Workers often bring their knives homes to keep the edges smooth sharp and sanded, but when the knife is dull the injury is more crucial. When the knife is dull, additional pressure is placed on the worked tendons, joints, and nerves. “A dull knife can cause pain to extend from the cutting hand all the way down the spine”. In general when getting cut by the sharp knife a meatpacker can get tendinitis, trauma disorders, back pains, shoulder problems, carpal tunnel disease, and trigger finger. Trigger finger is a syndrome in which a finger becomes frozen in a curled position. When a worker is injured and the injury isn’t severe the worker is told that he or she can return to work tomorrow or is shifted to an easier job for a while.
When Eric Schlosser said that the meatpacking jobs are the most dangerous jobs in the United States he is absolutely correct. Based on the information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are several men and women who have serious work related injuries. Schlosser also states that thousands of additional injuries and illnesses most likely go unrecorded. Many of the people working in the meatpacking factories suffer because of the speed of the line. The faster the line goes the more likely injuries happen based on the information provided by a former Monfort nurse. Many of the workers suffered from lacerations because they were constantly accidentally stabbing themselves with knives. There were also other diseases that workers contracted while working on the line like Tendinitis and trauma disorders. Overtime workers developed back and shoulder problems. Most of the workers had to take their knives home to sharpen them because a dull knife meant more work to cut the meat which caused more problems in the tendons, joints, and nerves. The meatpacking industry has workers who work so close to many dangerous machines making it easy for them to get severely hurt.
ReplyDeleteMany of the meatpacking businesses like ConArg, IBP, and Excel have tried to increase their profits so they speed up the line. According to Schlosser the faster the pace of the line the more money the company will make. Supervisors abuse their workers by giving them a drug called “crank” which makes the worker to feel as if they are full of energy. Workers who use this drug are more susceptible to get hurt because they are high on methamphetamine and a slaughterhouse is not the place to be high. Many of the workers have to take the abuse because most of them are illegal immigrants and are generally employed “at will” which means they can be let go for no reason. The companies do not want to slow the pace of line and protect their workers because they will be at a competitive disadvantage.
After reading this past chapter I have to agree with Schlosser when he say's that the jobs in the slaughter house's of America is a very dangerous one if not one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. Schlosser brings his attention to the fact that these lines are not work by machines but by live human hands, ultimately putting them around deadly machines that one may call weapons. Because these lines are ran by humans they have to push them to work at fast paces to keep up with the production goal of the month. Pushing these individuals to speed in such a tedious task will and has resulted in injury. In this work force not only are the workers pushed to speed in this horrendous task but they are pushed to keep quiet and to quit. The supervisor's tend to have no remorse giving these employees little if any respect at all.
ReplyDeleteThese factories have even went to the extreme's of hiring illegal immigrant's ultimately using a form of "black mail" to with hold these individuals of keeping there mouth closed and to keep working some even womanizing there employees ultimately getting sexual deeds for promotions. There are even outside hire's similar to temps, the average person trying to find work with little to no skill to clean this factory filled with tools of destruction that have killed several in the past.All in all this job has it's flaws and I would not advise a soul to work at such a life threatening place.
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ReplyDeleteMeatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States. Schlosser writes that the injury rate in a slaughterhouse is about three times higher than the rate in a typical American factory and every year more than one-quarter of the meatpacking workers suffer an injury or a work-related illness that requires medical attention. There are strong evidence that thousands of additional injuries and illnesses occur unrecorded. Most of the work in the nation's slaughterhouse is still performed by hand. One of the leading determinants of the injury rate at a slaughterhouse today is the speed of the disassembly lines. The faster is runs, the more likely the workers will get hurt. The most important tool in a slaughterhouse is a sharp knife. Workers often forget to resharpen their knives and as the pace increases, so does the risk of accidental cuts and stabbings.
ReplyDeleteInjured workers typically get treated administratively and medically poorly. Workers are under tremendous pressure to not report injuries. If a worker agrees to not report an injury, a supervisor will usually shift him or her to an easier job. Injured workers are a drag on profits. They are less productive, are often given unpleasant tasks in the slaughterhouse, and their hourly wages are cut.
Charity Crain
ReplyDeleteThe meatpacking job is a very dangerous job because of the work space and machinery the workers have to use to complete their work. There are many dangerous outcomes that come with operating these machines, such as injuries that can be fatal. The idea of getting money can override the thought of safety for the owners, managers, and supervisors. The way they treat their employments could be so careless because they know that in the end, they will get paid either way. Since so many people in the United States are in need of a job, the employers have no need to care about how the workers feel or being treated because there is always someone to replace them. Many factories may hire illegal immigrants because they can pay them for cheap and most would be too scared to report their conditions to authorities and it is also easier to fire them. There is also a high possibility that injuries that take place by these illegal workers or any worker will go unannounced because these places make money based off of the low-injury rate taken place at these factories. But the injury can’t go untreated, so the injured worker may go see the local medical person hired by the company for any treatment needed; that’s if the “doctor” knows how to treat it. Sometimes the supervisor may offer an easier job for the worker to do until they feel better enough to go do their past task. Do to this process, the company keeps the worker, and makes more money.
Anthony Poche
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter eight of this book, Schlosser says that "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." He then backs up him claim with undeniable evidence that exposes this industry for what it really is. This job has one of the highest injury rates in America even though many of the injuries that take place are not even reported. The reasons for the constant and usually severe injuries to the workers are because of the nature of the objects and lack of space. The workers are in contact with power tools, forklifts, conveyor belts, dehiding machines, knives, and other sharp objects everyday. Many workers experience minor and severe lacerations from knives and other sharp object because they accidentally stab themselves. These stabbings are not just because the workers are clumsy. This can be attributed to the speed at which the production line moves. It moves faster than some workers can handle for hours. The lines moves at this speed because the supervisors, managers, and executives want to produce more meat faster. While working in the production line and factory, workers also can contract various diseases like Tendinitis and trauma disorders. Others developed back pains and shoulder problems. Many of these workers also happen to be illegal immigrants which opens the door for relentless exploitation. The supervisors have little concern for these people. They discourage reporting injuries with the threat to simply fire those who complain and also benefit personally from it. The less injuries there are the better bonus a supervisor can receive. Even when a supervisor has no choice but to fill out an injury report, he sends the injuried worker to the company doctor who also is on their payroll. This doctor pretty much gives them a band-aid and sends them on there way back to work. These workers don’t get time off or compensation. This treatment of workers is disgusting and shows the real nature of this industry.
Chinedu Echebelem
ReplyDeleteAs Schlosser mentions in Chapter 8, the job titles of the workers in the slaughter house outline the dangers and cruelty of the work that is taking place. Knuckle Dropper, Naval Boner, and Feed Kill Chain are a few names that describe the activities. Not only does the daytime slaughter house workers experience horrifying conditions, but also the night sanitation crew. Spraying the 180 degree mixture of water and chlorine solution fogs up the goggles of the workers, in result many of the workers continue to work blinded by the fog and mistakenly sprays other workers with the scorching solution. Workers who aren’t sprayed are still being harmed by inhaling the hazardous chemical. This all happens while the conveyer belts and machinery are on and running, which disables the workers from hearing each other.
Workers are treated horribly while on the job. Many are cursed out, belittled, and even sexually harassed, but they don’t retaliate because they are afraid of losing their job, or being deported back to their native country. Some individuals continue to work, because it may be their only source of income to provide for their family, and this job is better paying than a job back in their native country.
Schlosser also mentions how the companies make the efficiency of the machinery more of a priority than the safety of the workers. As the speeds of the disassembly lines increase, so did the number of injuries suffered. The main concern of the company is to make as much money as possible, the quickest way possible. This brings me to the topic of how many supervisors of slaughterhouses send their injured workers to the company doctor, who tells them they are able to work regardless of how severe their injury may be. This allows the company to keep a worker and keep the fast pace of the disassembly line, as a result they continue to keep the efficiency and profit the same.
Taylor Reuther
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 7, Schlosser indicates how dangerous meatpacking is as a job. The workers work together in a small confined space extremely close to each other while using huge knives. The workers can easily cut themselves or the people working right next to them. These workers are usually illegal immigrants who come to the United States to find a job, and they are willing to do anything to get money. Among these illegal immigrants are the sanitary workers, who definitely get the full wrath of the meatpacking industry since they have to clean it up. These workers experience huge amounts of chemicals and high temperatures. They stand on conveyor belts, which are sometimes up to 15 feet in the air. The workers spray hot chemicals to clean the blood off of everything, which usually end up burning other workers because of the low visibility rate. Cleaning the vents is the scariest, says Jesus, because he is always scared a gust of wind will sweep him off the roof into darkness in the middle of the icy winter season. The slaughterhouse workers usually do not even report injuries, and their injury rate is three times higher than other factory workers. The high injury rate is caused by the fast moving process line, the faster the line moves the more injuries are reported. The deaths of many slaughterhouse workers are gruesome, literally being shred to pieces or ground up inside of these huge machines. Most of the workers that are injured usually do not file for worker’s compensation, and they just return to work right away while in excruciating pain because that is how bad these workers need the money to support their families. The workers are use by the companies and taken advantage of and just tossed in the dumps when they are no longer useful.
Meatpacking is the most dangerous job in America. There are so many ways to get injured in the meatpacking plants and factories. Different types of machinery are everywhere which can rip you to shreds. Everyone has knifes that they use to cut the meat. Knifes may not be properly cleaned because the companies want you to get more do faster. This causes germs to be everywhere and the food to be overly dirty. Companies are under enormous pressure to speed up their lines, which can lead to injuries and dangerous food, Schlosser wrote. "The three meat packing giants -- ConAgra, IBP and Excel -- try to increase their earnings by maximizing the volume of production at each plant." People have gotten sick from these unsanitary and unfit conditions.
ReplyDeleteWorkers get slashed, burned, scarred, or even kill. Most of the people working in the meatpacking industry were illegal European immigrants. In the past the companies didn’t even care about the people who worked there. One guy had gotten diced up and feed to other human beings without them even knowing what that had eaten. Workers were not treated as humans. You might as well say that the workers were machines. Works could be seriously hurt but the doctor would tell them that they were ok so they could work the next day and the companies wouldn't have to pay them bonuses for their injuries. Also when someone dies the company is only fined a small 500 dollar fee. That’s a small thing to a giant. The people have many laws made to protect the people from the terrible inhuman conditions that the meatpacking companies have for their workers. Although it is still not safe today the working conditions of the people have improved and they now teach workers about safety before they enter the work field.
Kierra Hitchens
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 8, Schlosser talks about the dangers of working in the meatpacking industry. The meatpacking job is very dangerous because of the abnormal working conditions. Meatpackers often work within inches of each other using knives in a swift, fast-pace environment. . Most work performed by slaughterhouses is still performed by hand. The most important tool in a modern slaughterhouse is a sharp knife. Using a knife is always dangerous, especially under the slaughterhouse working conditions. Lacerations are the most common injuries suffered by meatpackers. However, risk of many other injuries and trauma disorders are also suffered by workers of the meatpacking industry. One of the leading determinants of the injury rate at a slaughterhouse is the speed of the disassembly line. The faster it runs, the more likely it is for a worker to get hurt. Workers must move swiftly and focus on the assembly line as the speed increases, however with a speedier pace many knives go unsharpened and more knives are accidently ejected from workers hands. Injured workers are treated badly administratively and medically. Majority of workers are immigrants. Immigrants are treated with no respect and can be fired at any time. Many workers are employed “at will” which means they can be fired without warning for any reason. Afraid of a horrible outcome, many workers don’t lodge complaints for this reason. Typically, Injured workers are ignored; many injuries and illnesses most likely go unrecorded. Workers are under tremendous pressure not to report injuries. Injured workers are given the most unpleasant jobs and their hourly wages are also cut. To keep up with the pressure of the meatpacking industry many supervisors sell methamphetamine “crank” to workers or supply it free in exchange for favors to “help workers. This also increases the great risk of injuries in the meatpacking industry.
The meat packing industry is now the most dangerous job to have in the United States. The meat packing industry is the most dangerous job because of all of the injury risks that are involved. The working conditions are very harsh in the meat packing industry. It is dangerous because of the always close contact with very dangerous working objects. They work along side dangerous machines, knives, saws, and other dangerous and sharp objects. When the workers are working with the assembly line, the workers have to be extra careful that they do not get close enough to the machines that they would hurt themselves. The pay is also not very good. The majority of the workers in the meat packing industry are immigrants. Since the immigrants are always looking for work, the pay does not matter to them. They are also treated very poorly. The immigrants are not treated very well because them are immigrants. If the workers get hurt, the company calls a doctor, hired by the company, to do their job to try and help the injured worker.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Schlosser in saying "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." I agree with this because Schlosser tells us about the dangers of the meatpacking business. The equipment is dangerous, work spaces are small, and the employees are treated poorly. Injured workers are typically treated with no type of remorse. They aren't treated properly or with the respect that is deserved. Society might not see this as being the most dangerous job because most of the injuries don't get reported and the people in the society doesn't know exactly what goes on in this business.
ReplyDeleteTaiRhe Turner
ReplyDeleteAccording to chapter eight, meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. There are a few reasons as to why this is. One would be the work space provided. The space provided isn’t enough necessary for the job. Another reason is that it is unsanitary, which can lead to sickness and injury. The injury rate in these slaughter houses is a lot higher than in regular factories. And because of all of the “at will” workers that can get fired at any time for any reason, many of the workers don’t report their injuries. They are “at will” workers because most of them are illegal immigrants trying to make a living here in the U.S. by any way possible. Also some rewards and benefits may be taken away for such reports and/or complaints. This industry is all about making money and will slip through any loopholes, even if it means putting working people in danger. This is further shown when a worker goes to the company doctor for treatment, as they will do as little as necessary to help, but will persuade the worker to continuue working.
After reading chapter eight, Schlosser talks about how dangerous the jobs of the meatpacking industry are. Schlosser refers to the meatpacking industry as being the “worst job in the United States”. Schlosser explained that meatpacking is the most dangerous job because the employees have a higher rate of being hurt or injured. The work conditions of meatpacking are crucial because workers have many harmful injuries recorded and unrecorded. The slaughterhouses have harmful machinery and tools that can sometimes be deadly. Many immigrants are the employees of these jobs and they get treated unfairly. The managers and big CEO’s really don’t care about their workers. They have mediocre standards and only care for their workers until the risk of staying opening. The most shocking news is that if worker doses die from their job, mangers could pay only a small fee to get away with the chargers. Workers rarely and don’t want to report their injuries because of the fear of getting fired. Workers are promised an easier job if they don’t report the injury. The heavy protective gear that workers wear provides them with limit motion which can be detrimental in certain circumstances. Along with harmful conditions, workers are given drugs to help them feel energized. Supervisors do not report these injuries because with limited injuries supervisors receive big bonuses. First-aid-kits are required in the work area but some work conditions go way beyond that. The lifelong effects of working in these slaughter houses are tremendous. Many workers have pains and aches that can last them a lifetime. Increase pay is one of many tactics supervisors use to speed up the production.
ReplyDeleteI was in utter amazement is disgust after reading chapter eight. I gained insight on the shadows that hide in the meat packing industry. The meat packing industry has become one of the most dangerous jobs in the fast food industry due the impact and well being of workers. As Schlosser reveals, the well being of the workers are not a main focus to the owners of the companies. Many of the workers are of low income families and families in poverty. Schlosser also lets readers know that these families involved and employed by the meat packing companies are immigrants. Of course these immigrants have a great need and desire for their jobs so they would do whatever it takes to keep it. Unfortunately, “whatever it takes” consist of workers not reporting their injuries that occur on the job site. They are rewarded for their silence by a bonus in their checks by the company’s owner. The least amount of injuries reported the more money the company can receive. The companies are only governed to pay a small portion such as hundreds of dollars for the deaths that are caused by their horrible working conditions. Workers are to work to full ability in a small space. The lives of these workers are at stake due to the greed and selfish desire of the industries owners.
ReplyDeleteIra'neshia
ReplyDeleteThe meatpacking plant has the most dangerous job because of the work conditions. The owners of the meatpacking plant tries to speed up production which causes the workers to become injuried because they can not keep up. If the line is sped up that can also mean the workers don't have time to clean their knives. The workers are treated very poorly. A meatpacking plant is a drab place. Most meatpacking plant owners do not follow the heath code. There is blood everywhere the instruments they use are unsanitary. The meatpacking plant is a high risk job and some owners tend to higher illegal aliens to work because they can not complain about work conditions.