With the Thanksgiving holiday here, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the workers who process and pack the turkeys that so many of us will consume. When I drive through the state of Iowa and all across … Continued
Poultry Processing
Politics
Contract Workers in the Belly of the Food System
A block-long tent city of pickets and placards lines a main thoroughfare on the south side of Minneapolis, just off the property of a huge Cub Food supermarket. Hunger strikers supporting low-wage contract food system workers underscore the irony of … Continued
Food Justice
Packinghouse Bathroom Breaks: Leaving Human Dignity at the Plant Gate
It happened again several weeks ago. He asked permission to go to the bathroom. His supervisor told him to wait till a replacement was found for his position on the line. The supervisor didn’t come back. He could wait no … Continued
Politics
Budget Cuts Leave Consumers and Food Workers At Risk
Last Friday night, Washington, D.C. politicians went into overdrive in order agree upon an 11th hour 2011 federal budget. Framed as a fight to the bitter end, compromises became personally evident by Monday morning as the long undetermined budget cuts … Continued
Health
The hardships faced by refugees in rural meat-packing communities intensifies daily
The impact the economic crisis has had on the refugee community in central Minnesota is significant. The major layoffs at the end of 2008 resulted in a number of refugees that are still out of work. After their employment benefits … Continued
Food Justice
Improve working conditions for those who bring you your turkey
Originally published by The Progressive Media Project on November 22, 2010. Before you carve into your Thanksgiving turkey, please pause to reflect on the workers who brought the holiday feast to your table. After twenty-one years of grueling, hard labor … Continued
Food Justice
A vision for a new harvest
It’s that time of year again when people are busy planning and hosting seasonal celebrations that honor various cultural, religious and social traditions. Over the next six to eight weeks, gatherings will be held in homes, banquet halls, and houses … Continued
Punitive Rules in Food Processing Endanger Workers and Consumers
Talking with workers in food plants, mostly where turkeys and hogs are processed, I hear many disturbing stories. Just a few months ago management at one of these plants fired a woman who had been working there for over six … Continued
Immigration
Who’s Thanksgiving is it Anyway?
It’s October and already the annual super bowl of livestock marketing campaign is in full gear. According to Lara Durben, of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, “One-third of all turkey consumed in the United States is eaten in the fourth … Continued
Health
Food Companies Put Profit First, People Last
The working class is being oppressed by employers that only want to grow wealth regardless of the sacrifices or conditions for their workers. The primary and only goal for this type of employer is to make more money. Few of … Continued