Union suit challenging federal rules in pork processing advances

A union representing meat process workers nationwide can go forward with its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture that claims that recent changes to pork processing rules are putting workers in danger, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ruled Monday.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union alleges in its lawsuit United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local No. 663, et al. v. United States Department of Agriculture that the 2019 swine slaughter modernization rule, which eliminated the maximum line speed for swine of 1,106 hogs per hour and turned inspection of swine processing over to the companies, “will endanger the health and safety of tens of thousands of workers in the hog slaughter industry,” according to a statement.

“Even at current line speeds, swine slaughter and processing workers face many job risks that can lead to severe injury, illness and death,” the statement reads. “There is no evidence that line speed increases can be done in a manner that ensures food and worker safety.”

The lawsuit seeks to halt the USDA rule.

The union represents about 250,000 workers in the meatpacking and food processing industries and 30,000 workers in pork plants, handling 71% of all hogs slaughtered and processed in the United States, according to a statement.