FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2025
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
STATEMENT: USDA LINE SPEEDS STUDIES FIND INCREASED RISK TO WORKERS
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the USDA released two studies on the impact of line speeds on poultry and swine workers; emphasizing increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other crippling upper extremity disorders to workers. Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern United States, as well as meatpacking and processing workers in other parts of the country issued the following statement:
“America’s meat processing workers feed American families, but at a staggering cost to themselves. The USDA today released two studies emphasizing this risk; hundreds of thousands of poultry workers are among the American meat processing workers at increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other crippling upper extremity disorders.
“My union, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, has represented poultry workers for decades, and we know all too well how these injuries and disorders can affect workers’ quality of life. We also know that the dangers and risks go beyond the musculoskeletal injuries detailed in these reports.
Poultry workers toil in cramped, cold conditions, slicing up birds thousands of times per hour as chickens rush down the line. Along with the disorders caused by repetitive motions, these workers are at constant risk of cuts, punctures, scrapes, trips, falls, and wear and tear on their bodies. It’s no surprise that poultry workers are twice as likely as the average American worker to suffer a severe wrist injury, and seven times as likely to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
“We call upon OSHA and the USDA in the incoming administration to make worker safety a priority, and mitigate risk at poultry plants to address the dangerous conditions outlined in the reports. We need to mandate job modifications that reduce ergonomic stressors and additional staffing to decrease repetitive motion and work speed; increase workers’ access to early and adequate medical treatment; and create better tool-sharpening programs to reduce the impact of cutting jobs.
“We need to protect the workers who feed America, and ensure that they aren’t treated as disposable commodities.”
# # #
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.