America’s Meat Packing and Processing Labor Union Calls on Industry to Stop Shielding Subcontractors, Identifies PSSI as One of Industry’s Worst Actors
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and other essential industries across North America, released the following statement in response to the Department of Labor’s announcement that their federal investigation found Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) illegally employed more than 100 children, as young as 13 years old, across eight states.
UFCW International President Marc Perrone released the following statement:
“PSSI has long been known to be one of the worst actors in the meat packing and processing industry. Paying a simple fine is not enough, their entire business model relies on the exploitation of workers, vicious union-busting tactics, and the violation of human rights. Yet to this day, PSSI continues to enjoy the support of many of the large companies who have hired them.
“The UFCW calls on every employer in this industry to use the considerable power they hold over these bad-actors to end this exploitation for good. Any employer in the meat and poultry industry that continues to employ PSSI as a subcontractor shares the blame for their horrific actions. So too do the politicians in numerous states who are introducing legislation that seeks to make it easier to place children in dangerous workplaces. Hiring children is not the answer to staffing problems – higher sustaining wages and unionization is.”
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The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States. UFCW International represents 1.3 million professionals and their families in healthcare, grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries. Our members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.