I agree with a lot of what is said in this paper. The job is hard and unforgiving.

However, I would not be so fast to conclude that the work inside the packing plant contributes to social decay in the community.

Rather the work in the packing plant attracts a certain negative mindset. They bring that mindset to their new community when they accept employment at the packing plant. The packing plant may exacerbate that somewhat, but it does not cause it.

For example, packing plants will hire ex-cons without too many questions being asked. Ex-cans, as a demographic, are not exactly the most well adjusted people in the world. They bring a lot of their crap into their community.

My town has a packing plant as a main source of industry. To make a long story short, the new owners are making some good changes. For example, workers can change their positions more readily to reduce the risk of RSIs. From my perspective, the workers at this plant are complaining a lot less than they were 10 years ago. Attrition rates went from 40% to 8%. And the plant is new one of the more profitable plants this company has. So management techniques have become more humane.

While packing plants can improve their working environment, they never be a “nice” job.

I’m pretty sure we are moving to a world with less meat. That is how this issue will be solved.