Vertical integration has also allowed the meat industry to become highly consolidated, controlled by just a few companies: As of , the four largest companies in each sector controlled 85 percent of the beef packing industry, 66 percent of pork packing, and 51 percent of broiler chicken processing. The history of the meatpacking industry closely traces the history of corporate power and consolidation in the US.
In the same period, antitrust laws aimed the stranglehold of big business in all sectors broke up most powerful players of the meat cartel. Transition to a production line, where workers performed the same task repeatedly, meant unskilled workers could be hired at lower wages.
Consolidation began to rise again, such that today meatpacking is one of the most concentrated sectors of the economy; with consolidation, conditions at plants have worsened severely. Some beef and pork slaughter plants are still unionized, and, according to United Food and Commercial Workers , union meatpackers make 15 percent higher wages than non-union.
The costs of working in slaughterhouses are not offset by the low pay; and worse, many workers sacrifice their bodies on the production line. With line speeds twice as fast as forty years ago, the stress of repetitive cutting motions can lead to serious injury. A Southern Poverty Law Center report found that nearly 75 percent of poultry workers described having some type of significant work-related injury or illness.
Injuries from the cutting equipment, from falls on slippery floors and from exposure to chemicals and pathogens are common. Musculoskeletal disorders — injuries to the nerves, tendons and muscles — are especially prevalent. For example, the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in poultry processing is seven times higher than the national average. On a chicken processing line, a worker can repeat the same motion as many as 20, times in a day, which can lead to permanent damage in the hands, arms, shoulders or back.
In some slaughterhouses, workers are not allowed regular bathroom breaks, which can lead to severe health consequences, as well. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages. Estimates do not include self-employed workers. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average. Menu Search button Search:. Occupational Employment and Wages, May Slaughterers and Meat Packers Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Industries with the highest levels of employment in Slaughterers and Meat Packers: Industry Employment 1 Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage 2 Animal Slaughtering and Processing 72, This facility also participates in community benefit programs.
National Beef Packing Co. Are you looking for industrial sales leads in the meatpacking, food processing or any other type of industry? IndustrySelect provides comprehensive profiles of , industrial companies and one million executives, including meatpacking companies.
Powered by MNI, trusted industrial data compiler since , company profiles are verfied and updated in real time by a person research team. See a sample profile. To learn more about how you can use IndustrySelect to generate reliable sales leads for your company, visit our website and try out a free demo. Looking for suppliers of food products? Top Food Manufacturers in the U. Editor's Note: This article was originally published in December The company tried to buy National Beef Packing Co.
Department of Justice opposed the acquisition. National Beef Packing Co. Daily slaughter capacity 14, U. Its other main product is leather. Sources: All numbers are for Market share numbers for the four companies add up to 75 percent in the Duke report, although the more commonly used figure is 81 percent. Numbers differ due to varying sources used to collect this data, which is not reported by the USDA. Stay up to date on the West with our free newsletter.
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