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On March 18, the UFCW responded to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that it will instruct the Food Safety and Inspection Service to extend waivers allowing pork and poultry facilities to operate at higher line speeds. Earlier this year, the USDA released two studies that showed the adverse impact of line speeds on poultry and pork workers.

“Our members work tirelessly every day in America’s pork and poultry plants, helping families put food on the table,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “They know firsthand that these jobs are already physically demanding and high-risk. Extending these waivers without additional safety measures will only lead to more injuries, more workplace accidents, and a greater risk of food contamination.”

“We are again calling for a full range of safety measures to include additional staffing, improved reporting of workplace injuries, expanded access to early and adequate medical treatment, and job modifications that minimize ergonomic stressors,” Perrone added. “The safety of our food depends on the safety of the workers who process it. The decision to allow facilities to operate at higher speeds without any additional safety measures only puts workers and consumers at risk.”

This year, the UFCW is once again partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers to sponsor the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 10. This campaign, which is the largest single-day food drive in the country, is an opportunity for UFCW locals to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of America’s families who are suffering from the effects of hunger.

According to Feeding America, over 47 million people in the U.S., including nearly 14 million children, are coping with food insecurity—which is why the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is so important. This food drive donates millions of pounds of food at a critical time when many food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand of feeding more families due to rising inflation and higher food prices.

During the past few years, UFCW locals from across the country helped to collect millions of pounds of food for this campaign. This year, we are encouraging all UFCW locals and their members to get involved in this food drive by collecting unopened, non-perishable food and placing the items in a bag next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers their mail on Saturday, May 10.

Help us make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive a success. Together, we can show our brothers and sisters who are struggling to feed their families that they are not alone, and make a positive difference in the communities we call home. You can get more information about the Stamp Out Hunger food drive here. Materials to help locals spread the word about the food drive are available here. Locals are encouraged to send photos of Stamp Out Hunger events to Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.