Worker Advocates make Thanksgiving Appeal to Poultry CEOs

As Americans from coast-to-coast prepare for Thanksgiving, worker advocates are calling on CEOs of America’s largest poultry companies to raise wages, improve safety conditions and guarantee fair treatment for workers who help feed millions of American families.

On Thursday, November 19th, three advocacy organizations – Interfaith Worker Justice, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) and the Western North Carolina Workers Center – released copies of letters to:

• Jim Perdue, CEO of Perdue Farms
• Joe F. Sanderson, CEO of Sanderson Farms
• Bill Lovette, President and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride

 The letters are linked to above.

For reporters, here are links to

• National COSH's press release
• the Powerpoint presentation used in the November 19th press conference
• A recent Oxfam report on poultry workers

Below is a recording of our November 19th press conference.

And here, Naitonal COSH's Peter Dooley talks about turkey processing workers on the Rick Smith Show, November 22nd.