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=Cogs of the Machine=

**Summary:** This chapter focuses on the big businesses of the meatpacking industry. The term “Cogs in the Great Machine” refers to Upton Sinclair’s //The Jungle//. In this book, Sinclair explains the horrors of the meatpacking industry, explaining that the way the workers are treated is a “cog in the great machine.” The chapter describes some of the top meatpacking companies in the United States and their methods of production. While some passages are a little gruesome, this chapter discusses working conditions, meatpacking towns, production methods, and the CEO’s of these companies. To summarize, these companies pay low wages, have bad benefits, gross working conditions, and can barely keep their laborers for more than a year. The factories bring an unnatural stench to the meatpacking towns, and ruin the land with their waste. While the CEO’s of these major corporations are making millions, their laborers and managers are receiving meager wages, and being pressured to meet a minimum production amount, resorting to unethical ways of producing the meat.

**Supporting Research **: Research confirms that meatpacking plants require a fast production speed, often too fast for workers to handle. Many times, supervisors make them work twice as fast, “in there on top of the people… screaming at them and pushing them, literally pushing them, to go faster and faster.” As well, working conditions are very inadequate. Many laborers work with and around animal remains and in close distance from fellow workers. One report described workers as being “stationed so close together they lacerated coworkers with their knives.”  Meatpacking industries also infringe on human rights. They have the highest number of worker injuries every year. Some believe that the number is actually higher because employees are too afraid to report them. Also, many illnesses and cumulative stress disorders are obtained from working in these plants. They also infringe on human rights by allegedly firing employees who support unions and treating illegal immigrants unfairly. One source claims that meatpacking employees earn around $11.47 an hour, which is 30 percent less than an average manufacturing worker.

 **Sources:** @http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL33002.pdf @http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11806 @http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/250/meat-packing.html

** Opposing Viewpoints: ** While meatpacking plants are claimed to be unsuitable for working, they do benefit the economy both in the United States and in the world. The meatpacking industry provides around $81.2 billion to the federal government each year, and meatpacking employees in Iowa have a higher yearly income than pre-school teachers and nursing aids. As well, the industry provides jobs, international exports, and around $864.2 billion annually to the GDP.

 Taken from American Meat Institute
 * Opposing Research: **
 * In 2009, more than 526,290 workers were employed in the meat and poultry packing and processing industries. Their combined salaries total more than $19 billion.
 * Through its production and distribution linkages, the meat and poultry industry impacts firms in all 509 sectors of the U.S. economy, in every state and every congressional district in the country.
 * In all, companies involved in meat production, along with their suppliers, distributors, retailers and ancillary industries employ 6.2 million people in the U.S. with jobs that total $200 billion in wages.
 * Through direct taxes paid, these companies and their employees provide $81.2 billion in revenues to federal, state and local governments. The consumption of meat and poultry generates $2.4 billion in state sales taxes.
 * The meat and poultry industry’s economic ripple effect generates $864.2 billion annually to the U.S. economy, or roughly 6% of the entire GDP.
 * In 2009, meat and poultry industry sales totaled $154.8 billion.

**Can we improve public policy related to food regulations?**  There are a lot of changes that could be applied to meat packing industries to improve the food and meet regulations. There are too many instances where standards aren't met, but are falsified to meet them. By improving working conditions and relationships with employees, the entire mentality of the ind <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">ustry could be improved. Because this industry contributes to the economy a lot, it is important that we keep these industries thriving, but working in a different, safer way. If there was less pressure put on the plants for production, then working conditions would be approved, leaving happier employees, and a better working environment. The key to improving public policy is to start at the top and let it trickle to even the most minuscule jobs. Starting with the improvement of working conditions, the industry will begin to become a new industry, receiving a better name and reputation.