oxfamamerica

Unfortunately, OSHA is a small and underfunded agency, which only goes into a handful of poultry plants every year. The agency has enough personnel to inspect just 1 percent of all workplaces in the US each year; it would take 114 years to inspect each workplace once.

On the upside, OSHA recently launched targeted inspection programs in the poultry industry, and will be investigating violations. - Oliver

It is really awful. And it happens to so many people everyday. There are over 250K poultry workers in the US!

The law currently requires that "employers allow employees prompt access to sanitary facilities. Restrictions on access must be reasonable and may not cause extended delays."

We've heard from workers that the restrictions are unreasonable and the delays are very extended. Poultry companies should hire a specific number of replacement workers so that take bathroom breaks whenever they need to. - Oliver

While a lot of the problem is certainly due to the lack of inspections and the climate of fear in US plants, it does in fact happen in other places. Here is an example from the Guardian about conditions in the UK: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/dec/22/uk-chicken-farming-puts-workers-and-food-safety-at-risk

Crazy all the attention on bathrooms! Sometimes it takes a visceral issue like that getting notice to create social change.

We have spent several years talking to workers from many of the largest poultry companies in the US and unfortunately, none of them appears to have better practices when it comes to the treatment of their workers. We are hoping that one of the industry leaders, such as Tyson, Pilgrim’s, Perdue or Sanderson, takes the lead in implementing better working conditions and becomes a leader in the industry. They will be more likely to do that if they hear that this is a priority for their customers, so please take action and let them hear from you. Sign our petition here: https://secure2.oxfamamerica.org/page/s/stand_with_poultry_workers