The average American eats 89 pounds of chicken a year. According to a report out today, that demand takes an enormous toll on the workers.
The report by Oxfam America says workers are facing factory line speeds that have doubled, many cut up 34 chickens a minute. Oliver Gottfried of Oxfam America says the four big poultry companies give a single half-hour lunch break but forbid workers from leaving the line during an eight-hour shift.
“That means that workers aren’t allowed to go to the bathroom even when they ask for it," Gottfried says. "And so many workers have reported either dramatically reducing their intake of liquid or being forced to wear diapers on the line.”
A spokesman for the National Chicken Council says there’s been a decrease in injuries in the last 20 years and it’s working on new ways to protect its workforce.
