Nebraska Meatpacking Workers' Bill of Rights
As a response to growing concerns of labor and public advocates regarding the working conditions of meatpacking workers, in June of 2000 then Nebraska Governor Michael Johanns issued the "Nebraska Meatpacking Industry Workers Bill of Rights." Johanns subsequently became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture during the Bush Administration.[1]
The bill is composed of a voluntary set of guidelines and does not offer concrete sanctioning power in case of their violation. Therefore Human Right’s Watch describes the bill as “a voluntary instrument and its reach, while important, has been modest.”[2]
On the other hand, a study regarding the impact of the bill conducted by Nebraska Applaseed, a Nebraska based non-profit organization, suggests that most workers are unaware that they are covered by a bill of rights and what it entails. The study, Dignity on the Line, argues that although the bill serves an indispensable policy role, it has done little on the ground to guarantee these rights for Nebraska’s meatpacking workforce.[3]
Nebraska's Meatpacking Workers Bill of Rights affirms that meatpacking workers have the following rights:[4]
- The right to organize
- The right to a safe workplace
- The right to adequate facilities and the opportunity to utilize them
- The right to adequate equipment
- The right to complete information
- The right to understand information provided
- The right to existing state and federal benefits and rights
- The right to be free from discrimination
- The right to continuing training including supervisor training
- The right to compensation for work performed
- The right to seek state help
References:
1. PBS NOW, “Meatpacking in the U.S.: Still a Jungle out There?”
2. Human Rights Watch, "Blood, Sweat, and Fear: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants" 2005.
3. Nebraska Appleseed, "Dignity on the Line: An Evaluation of the Nebraska Meatpacking Workers Bill of Rights"
4. State of Nebraska, text of Nebraska Meatpacking Workers Bill of Rights
