The Most Dangerous Job Garret Ross & Hillary Sharp

Killing For a Living America’s meat packing industry has been considered a dangerous and disgusting form of employment for many years. Since its uprising in the cattle districts of Chicago, the public eye has been warily cast on the hazards of this business. Some are apparent like the wielding of sharp knives and enormous equipment, but others like the fatigue, irreparable muscle damage, and the lack of protection for workers are much harder to see from the outside.

The kill floor Schlosser’s introduction to his description of the meatpacking process starts calmly, with images of pre- cut slices of meat and cold conveyor belts. As he continues his tour of the plant, he discovers that the clean and calm façade is destroyed the moment he sets foot on the “kill floor”. This is where the actual slaughtering of the animals takes place, often in an inhumane and unsanitary fashion. His many horrifying experiences include watching cattle fall from their restraining chains and into operating machinery and witnessing hundreds of cattle being “stunned” with a hydraulic lobotomizer, often with little effect.

The main point Schlosser’s main goal in exposing the dangers of the meat packing industry is to prove that the workers deserve treatment better than what they are receiving. They work overtime and are not paid for it, they receive almost no health benefits, and they are replaced at the first sign of weakness, even if they are experienced employees. He points out the use of illegal immigrants for labor and how it is difficult to document if they are treated fairly or unfairly. The organization of labor unions is almost impossible due to the language barriers and the influence of the corporations. He brings attention to these issues in order to fix them. The first step to bring better work environments and conditions is to bring focus onto these issues. Schlosser is effective in his goal, he not only reveals the dirty secrets of the meat industry but he brings attention to what’s really important. The way both the people and animals are treated is horrible and his exposition brings light to the situation.

Author’s bias The author does present some bias in favor of the workers that he interviewed. His own experiences are those of the mistreatment of the workers. He did not have familiarity with the corporation owners and the foremen of the plants. His view is limited to what he has personally seen, and does not include the entire spectrum of the issue.