What goes on in a Tyson chicken processing plant?
Tyson Foods is a American corporation based out in Springdale, Arkansas that is the world's second largest processor and marketer of beef, pork and chicken. Tyson was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arizona. Tyson has been known worldwide for its rapid production at 140 birds per minute. The speed at which these birds are produced is incredibly good for business but not fun for those working on the line. Working conditions for the workers can be severe and horrendous.
Autumn, A undercover investigator for the Animal Legal Defense Fund worked 21 days days for Tyson on the line. Autumn states “ I witnessed suffering, injuries and inhumane deaths to chickens every day”. The …show more content…
Tyson is currently at 140 chickens per minute with the chance of increasing that number if the supervisors running the line decide to speed it up. Workers told Oxam that they will have to process 35 - 45 chickens per minute. They have to cut,hack,pull,twist and hang each bird repeatedly and forcefully up to 20,000 times a day. The motions and speed that workers endure create a number of problems such as pain in fingers,shoulders,arms,hands and backs. As well as swelling, stiffness, numbness and a loss of grip.
All of these conditions lead to a wide spread of injuries and illnesses. These workers experience repetitive strain at 10x the rate of the overall workforce, musculoskeletal disorders at 5x the rate and carpal tunnel at 7x the rate. Many poultry workers report respiratory issues thanks to breathing in chlorine. There is a high death rate with 151 poultry workers dying on the job between 2004 and 2013.
Workers are putting up with these hellish conditions just to be rewarded very poorly. The average hourly pay is $11, roughly $20,000 - $25,000 a year. This qualifies workers with children to receive food stamps and assistance programs provided by the government. For every consumer dollars spent on a Tyson chicken product, workers will only see 2 cents of
Tyson Foods is a American corporation based out in Springdale, Arkansas that is the world's second largest processor and marketer of beef, pork and chicken. Tyson was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arizona. Tyson has been known worldwide for its rapid production at 140 birds per minute. The speed at which these birds are produced is incredibly good for business but not fun for those working on the line. Working conditions for the workers can be severe and horrendous.
Autumn, A undercover investigator for the Animal Legal Defense Fund worked 21 days days for Tyson on the line. Autumn states “ I witnessed suffering, injuries and inhumane deaths to chickens every day”. The …show more content…
Tyson is currently at 140 chickens per minute with the chance of increasing that number if the supervisors running the line decide to speed it up. Workers told Oxam that they will have to process 35 - 45 chickens per minute. They have to cut,hack,pull,twist and hang each bird repeatedly and forcefully up to 20,000 times a day. The motions and speed that workers endure create a number of problems such as pain in fingers,shoulders,arms,hands and backs. As well as swelling, stiffness, numbness and a loss of grip.
All of these conditions lead to a wide spread of injuries and illnesses. These workers experience repetitive strain at 10x the rate of the overall workforce, musculoskeletal disorders at 5x the rate and carpal tunnel at 7x the rate. Many poultry workers report respiratory issues thanks to breathing in chlorine. There is a high death rate with 151 poultry workers dying on the job between 2004 and 2013.
Workers are putting up with these hellish conditions just to be rewarded very poorly. The average hourly pay is $11, roughly $20,000 - $25,000 a year. This qualifies workers with children to receive food stamps and assistance programs provided by the government. For every consumer dollars spent on a Tyson chicken product, workers will only see 2 cents of