meatpackers

Meatpackers are workers in meat processing facilities—slaughterhouses and processing plants—that transform animals into packaged meat products such as beef, pork, and poultry. The term also covers the broader supply chain involved in cutting, deboning, grinding, curing, and packaging. The global industry is dominated by large multinational companies.

Work tasks proceed in sequence, beginning with slaughter and dressing, followed by evisceration, trimming, deboning, portioning, grinding, and assembling final products for packaging and cold storage. Environments are typically cold, wet, and noisy, with fast production lines and the use of heavy or powered tools. Jobs often require repetitive motions, lifting, and long shifts.

Health and safety considerations include risks of cuts, crush injuries, repetitive strain, slips, exposure to chemicals, and prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Regulatory frameworks involve OSHA for worker safety and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for meat safety, along with HACCP-based sanitation and humane handling provisions. The industry has faced outbreaks and ongoing debates over working conditions, labor practices, and animal welfare.

Labor history features significant union activity, particularly in North America, with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) as a major union representing many meatpacking workers. The sector is led by large firms such as Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, Smithfield, and BRF, and it operates with extensive international supply chains. Ongoing trends include automation and consolidation to improve efficiency and consistency, alongside continued attention to safety, compensation, and labor standards.