Faster Line Speeds Put Minnesota Meatpacking Workers at Risk
Published by Minnesota Reformer
Minnesota is the second largest producer of hogs in the United States. With a population of roughly nine million, hogs outnumber humans here. Maybe that’s why, when I passed by a transport truck near a pork processing plant in Austin, Minnesota, I felt compelled to look inside.
As I peered through the slats, I locked eyes with one pig in particular. His body was covered in scratches. At only six months old, the typical age of slaughter in the pork industry, he was just minutes away from a brutal death.
What you may not realize is that the pork industry isn’t just a nightmare for hogs — it takes a tremendous toll on people, too. And right now, new policy stands to further endanger the health and safety of Minnesota’s roughly 17,000 meatpacking workers.
