For a lot of people, that can be enough to at least consider a change. However, there's one tidbit about factory farming that's often looked over. The workers. Yes, the animals are important. After all, they are the ones facing death. But as a vegan and a Christian, I have to say that the health and safety of the workers matter as well.
The treatment of factory farm workers is far from stellar. In fact, it's downright horrifying. Even in the 21st century, no one wants to have a job in a slaughterhouse or a factory farm. Let's look at what the workers go through.
Low Wages and Slave Labor
It's not uncommon for workers to be underpaid. This isn't only in the US, it's all over the world. In fact, it's been reported that some countries utilize slave labor to get the work done. (And the fishing industry is not exempt!) One tactic that's been used to trick workers into these situations is "debt bondage". Individuals are lured in with the promise of high (or at least livable) wages. Once works starts, they enter a world where using subpar tools and bullying, exploitation and violence from the people in charge is a norm. Threats, scare tactics and lax or lack of labor laws often prevent the workers from leaving or filing reports against the companies.
Health Issues
Accidents, injuries and workplace illnesses happen far too often. Respiratory diseases, exposure to antibiotic resistant pathogens, hearing problems, falls, cuts, injuries due to repetitive motion, Salmonella, campylobacter, Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy (aka "swine brain"), loss of limbs, etc. Even worse, there have been cases of fatalities from hydrogen sulfide poisoning and freak accidents that I don't even want to mention. (If you really want to know... remember this story? You can also read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.) To make matters worse, companies have been known to frequently deny slaughterhouse and factory farm workers worker's compensation. Again, to keep the workers quiet companies will often fire, intimidate and exploit workers that try to speak up.
Accidents, injuries and workplace illnesses happen far too often. Respiratory diseases, exposure to antibiotic resistant pathogens, hearing problems, falls, cuts, injuries due to repetitive motion, Salmonella, campylobacter, Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy (aka "swine brain"), loss of limbs, etc. Even worse, there have been cases of fatalities from hydrogen sulfide poisoning and freak accidents that I don't even want to mention. (If you really want to know... remember this story? You can also read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.) To make matters worse, companies have been known to frequently deny slaughterhouse and factory farm workers worker's compensation. Again, to keep the workers quiet companies will often fire, intimidate and exploit workers that try to speak up.
Child Labor
In some cases, companies (in the US and other countries) have and still use under-age workers. Child workers are exposed to the same risks as the adult workers. They work long hours for little or no pay and use tools that, by law, are not to be used by minors or at all. See this example story.
If you want to read more articles and see where I'm getting some of my sources, check out these links
Factory Farms are the New Sweatshops
Why do companies allow and turn blind eyes to illegal, harmful and deadly labor practices? It's faster and cheaper. Individuals who take these kinds of job take them as a last resort. If they aren't poor locals, they're immigrants. So long as there's demand for meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, stuff like this will continue to happen. How can we help stop these horrors from happening?
1. Decrease the demand for meat, fish, eggs and dairy products by switching to a vegan (or at least vegetarian) lifestyle.
2. SPEAK UP! Share the news stories and articles about the subject. Trust me when I say that the stories are out there. You can also look up non-profit organizations like Mercy For Animals and The Humane Society. These groups have been known to start petitions through Change.org.
It's obvious that the animals suffer. But, it should also be made known that the human workers in slaughterhouses and factory farms face horrible conditions and exploitation as well. With action and hope, we can help make this a thing of the past.
Why do companies allow and turn blind eyes to illegal, harmful and deadly labor practices? It's faster and cheaper. Individuals who take these kinds of job take them as a last resort. If they aren't poor locals, they're immigrants. So long as there's demand for meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, stuff like this will continue to happen. How can we help stop these horrors from happening?
1. Decrease the demand for meat, fish, eggs and dairy products by switching to a vegan (or at least vegetarian) lifestyle.
2. SPEAK UP! Share the news stories and articles about the subject. Trust me when I say that the stories are out there. You can also look up non-profit organizations like Mercy For Animals and The Humane Society. These groups have been known to start petitions through Change.org.
It's obvious that the animals suffer. But, it should also be made known that the human workers in slaughterhouses and factory farms face horrible conditions and exploitation as well. With action and hope, we can help make this a thing of the past.
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