When chickens come home to roast: are America's poultry kings too chicken to listen to Catholic bishops? (margin notes).A LOT OF NUTRITIONISTS CALL CHICKEN THE HEALTHY alternative to red meat--at least for consumers. But at the other end of the poultry industry on the hurried-up production lines of America's mammoth food processors, the benefits of poultry consumption are not so clear. It's on those factory floors that a number of major contemporary U.S. social concerns--campaign finance reform, workers' rights, environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. , agricultural and immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. policy--converge in the tired hands of a nearly invisible, predominantly immigrant labor force. Mutilation Mutilation See also Brutality, Cruelty. Mutiny (See REBELLION.) Absyrtus hacked to death; body pieces strewn about. [Gk. Myth.: Walsh Classical, 3] Agatha, St. had breasts cut off. [Christian Hagiog. and repetitive-stress injuries are ugly realities of life at poultry facilities. Line work in the food processing Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption by humans or animals. The food processing industry utilises these processes. industry has been assailed by critics as the most dangerous job in America. Often at physical risk, workers can also be hurt fiscally on the job. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2000 found wage and hour violations at all of the 51 facilities randomly selected for the study. For years, union organizers have complained that food processors have pitted immigrant groups against U.S.-born workers in largely successful efforts to weaken union representation. Many alleged that certain large producers were even in the habit of importing busloads of undocumented workers from Mexico as production needs or a union-organizing drive required their presence. Industry representatives denied the Charges. They still do, even as two Tyson Food executives and four of its managers face a 36-count conspiracy indictment for immigrant smuggling smuggling, illegal transport across state or national boundaries of goods or persons liable to customs or to prohibition. Smuggling has been carried on in nearly all nations and has occasionally been adopted as an instrument of national policy, as by Great Britain into 15 Tyson poultry facilities across nine states. One ex-employee has already pleaded guilty to routinely "importing" as many as 2,000 Mexican workers over seven years on behalf of Tyson, a company whose owners and executives have regularly made large contributions to political campaigns--including helping to bankroll bank·roll n. 1. A roll of paper money. 2. Informal One's ready cash. tr.v. bank·rolled, bank·roll·ing, bank·rolls Informal a certain one-time Arkansas governor's career. That ex-employee has agreed to cooperate with federal authorities. It will be worth noting how far this investigation leads into this politically well-connected industry. One of the industry's little-advertised traits has been its deep reliance on undocumented labor. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much competition for what are undeniably unsavory, low-paying jobs. It's partly those low wages that allow Tyson and other food processors to get their poultry products so cheaply--and profitably--onto America's countertops. The plight of the poultry workers has attracted the attention of the Catholic bishops of the South, who detailed their concerns in a pastoral letter Pastoral letters are open letters addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances. , Voices and Choices. An industry spokesperson dismissed the bishop's analysis as "irrelevant," suggesting that they just did not understand the difficult realities of the poultry business. It's a typical response when religious leaders speak out on issues outside the spiritual realm. Some Catholics are like wise uneasy when bishops meddle med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. in "political" matters. It's possible that this industry flack has it just about right, though, that the U.S. bishops and other religious leaders don't understand the economic requisites of the poultry business, that they just can't fathom why cheating workers out of a fair daily wage helps keep shareholders content, why a slower and safer production line and less hazardous working conditions are too costly to institute, why circumvention of existing immigration laws immigration laws npl → leyes fpl de inmigración immigration laws npl → lois fpl sur l'immigration immigration laws npl is preferable to raising wages to a decent level. What the bishops might know a little something about, however, is their "business"--the business of promoting the common good and a shared civic ethics and protecting something we in the religion racket like to call human dignity Human dignity is an expression that can be used as a moral concept or as a legal term. Sometimes it means no more than that human beings should not be treated as objects. Beyond this, it is meant to convey an idea of absolute and inherent worth that does not need to be acquired and . Yeah, the bishops should probably stick to their business, but Tyson execs might want to recall the nature of the business the bishops are in. After all, they're not really in the business of agitating ag·i·tate v. ag·i·tat·ed, ag·i·tat·ing, ag·i·tates v.tr. 1. To cause to move with violence or sudden force. 2. for higher wages or cleaning up working conditions at poultry plants. No, the bishops' business ultimately is saving souls, and they don't write pastoral letters like Voices and Choices because they're worried about saving the souls of exploited industrial workers. The souls the bishops are probably most worried about are tethered Attached to a data or power source by wire or fiber. Contrast with untethered. slightly higher up the corporate ladder. By KEVIN CLARKE, managing editor of online products at Claretian Publications in Chicago. |
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