Protect Our Workers

A good few weeks ago we started getting reports that workers in slaughterhouses and meat plants were getting rapidly sick with COVID-19. Many operations all across the United States by companies like Tyson, Smithfield, JBS and Cargill began experiencing massive upticks in the amount of workers that were getting sick.

This is obvious. The working conditions in these places have never been good and they never will be. The workers are forced to work with blood and guts of sick dying animals all day long.

Workers in these plants can't practice social distancing, they can't get access to adequate sanitizers, and certainly can't take breaks because they're under the gun to meet product quotas.

What's worse, is that these workers are also forced to work at ridiculous rates. One report I heard on Democracy Now stated that even a simple meat plant can slaughter 1000 pigs in 1 hour.

If a worker has to work at that rate of slaughter I can't imagine how that messes up your mind not to mention how brutal that work must be.

Companies disregard Worker Safety

Given that these profit driven companies flout COVID-19 guidelines of social distancing, provision of PPE and sanitizers it's no wonder that so many workers have gotten sick.

On the point Personal Protection Equipment, workers were even being forced to buy their own.

Whilst many of us have the luxury of working from home, these men and women aren't so lucky.

They should be at home just like the rest of us, staying safe from a killer disease - but they don't even get that simple dignity provided to them. And this is all under direction on the United States government who have mandated meat as critical to national security. I haven't heard of anything so laughable before.

It's ridiculous to think the a McPresident can send all these people to their deaths so he can have a Happy Meal.

That's how little workers lives are valued.

Civil Rights Action

I was reading an article by The Gazette today. In the article it's revealed that the League of United Latin American Citizens has decided to implement Meatless May as a means of protest.

The idea is to hit these profit driven companies where it hurts. They're basically requesting people to stop buying from corporations. It's not really a vegan initiative like Veganuary or No Meat May but it is movement in the right direction.

It's a good start - buts lets go further.

The Solution

Ultimately the consumer is the is one that buys these products - and it is the consumer is one who can stop this travesty of workers being harmed.

We treat farm animals horrifically and by extension we treat slaughterhouse employees horrifically. Unfortunately workers need to work, so they're forced to take on jobs both you and I wouldn't even consider.

The solution is simple. The solution is Veganism.

Consumers must only buy vegan products. This will change the economics so that businesses will move to more ethical products and services. When this happens our people can work in safer environments.

No one gets swine flu, or bird flu or corona virus working with vegetables. No one gets salmonella or e-coli from a vegan taco. People don't get harmed with vegan products because they're designed to be ethical.

Conclusion

If eating meat costs a worker, a person their life, what does that then say about us. How do we justify that?

If we condemn people to death just so that we can have meat, then we are not treating animals and people like commodities?

I've come to see Veganism as a solution to a great many things - everything from healthcare to the climate crisis.

Now I see it as a solution for ourselves. Treat people with care - Go Vegan.