UFCW Union On Agriprocessors Labor Practices

Child labor, crippling injuries, harassment and sexual exploitation.

Use Iowa scandals as catalysts to improve appalling working conditions
JOSEPH T. HANSEN

After publishing his seminal work, "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair famously noted that he "aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."

He was referring to the fact that his book helped facilitate passage of food-safety legislation, but failed to spark the workplace and labor reforms needed to end the vicious cycle of exploitation occurring in meatpacking plants across the Midwest.

More than a century later, after two heart-wrenching scandals in Iowa's meatpacking and processing industry, the outrage among the public may have finally reached a critical mass.
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Last year, the nation and the world learned of alleged abuses of workers at Agriprocessors in Postville. The tragic stories of child labor, crippling injuries, harassment and sexual exploitation captured the nation.

For years, Agriprocessors gamed the immigration system to drive down wages and working conditions at the plant. It created a climate of fear to ensure that workers would not come forward and report these crimes. It's a business model built on abuse.

We now hear the tale of Henry's Turkey Service of Texas, which supplied labor to West Liberty Foods in Muscatine County. Henry's hired mentally handicapped men to work at the plant, and it has now come to light that these vulnerable workers were housed in reprehensible living conditions and paid pennies an hour for their work.

Both of these appalling situations have a great deal in common. In both cases, the companies targeted and preyed upon an easily exploitable workforce. In both, management refused to accept responsibility for its actions and instead chose to blame others for their troubles.

It is unacceptable and frankly un-Iowan that West Liberty's management did not do more to protect its vulnerable work force. For decades, these workers were treated as indentured servants. And now instead of addressing the serious questions being raised about the treatment of these workers, West Liberty Foods is saying that it does not comment on "confidential business information."

But the similarities between these companies do not end there. Both Agriprocessors and West Liberty Foods have a long history of using intimidation tactics to prevent their workers from forming a union. If there had been union representation in these plants, I guarantee that these situations would never have occurred. The union would have exposed these practices, protected these men and women and demanded justice.

So what should be done to prevent further abuses and, more important, how can we create nationwide, systemic reforms in the packing and processing industry?

First, we need to identify the scope of the problem. The Register is absolutely right that Iowa has been embarrassed by these scandals. But what occurred in Iowa is by no means isolated to the state. Similar worker injustices are rampant in poultry plants throughout the South and other facilities around the country.

Iowa should use this window of opportunity to lead the nation and to lift standards for all workers.

Iowa has a rich history and proud heritage of championing worker rights and protections. With strong leadership, Iowa can be the catalyst for creating industrywide reforms.

Rahm Emanuel, president Obama's chief of staff, recently noted that a crisis presents an opportunity to do big things. The twin crises of Agriprocessors and West Liberty present a unique opportunity.

In addition to completing a thorough investigation into the situation at West Liberty Foods, Gov. Chet Culver and Iowa's elected officials at the state and federal level should convene a summit of meatpacking and processing industry leaders, policymakers and labor experts for a frank discussion about the future of the industry.

Each day that goes by without action means more injuries, more injustices and less credibility for a state that so many packing and processing workers proudly call home.

JOSEPH T. HANSEN is international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Comments

[state of disgust]

When and where did this appear?

[Shmarya]

Des Moines Register today. Click the title of the article and you'll get there.

[Curious Postville Native]

This is as good a post as any to comment on how shocked I was, when I heard first-hand an incoming phone call from a displaced worker relaying information with regard to his not yet having received his W-2 tax form. This happened today, March 4, 2009.

Unbelievable! -Only in Postville, America.

[steve]

VIN IS REPORTING:

Postville, IA - Former Agriprocessors Supervisor Handed 2-Year Sentence

[state of disgust]

Found it earlier, thanks!

[Max]

Anyone know if utilities have been shut off yet? What is the shut off date?

If shut off:

a) What about the houses of the Rabbonim?
b) Are the Rabbonim at work?
c) Is the plant running?

[Shmarya]

All of Nevel Properties supposedly have utilities in the name of the tenants, so there should be no shut offs if tenants have paid or made arrangements to pay.

[michael ben drosai]

Nothing like a purely objective, no axe to grind kind of account

[State of Postville III]

When reporting on the Nevel Property bankruptcy on Ch. 7 last night it was stated that the utilities could not be shut off because of the season.

[Jimmy37]

Unions are liars and nothing they say should be believed without independent, unbiased documentation.