Power Relations in Poultry Processing Plants: Latino Workers in North Carolina: Evidence for Effects on Occupational Health and Safety

Over 250,000 workers are employed in poultry processing, one of the most dangerous industries in the US. Increasingly these jobs are held by immigrant workers, most of whom lack basic knowledge of workers' rights to workplace safety and are reluctant to pursue justice for their injuries. This paper draws on data collected during the research phases of a community-based participatory research and social justice project. Using data from 32 in-depth interviews and community ethnography in western North Carolina, this analysis describes the power relations among workers and between workers and supervisors. Three types of power relations form the basis for interactions in the plant: ethnicity (American vs. Latino), immigration status (“good papers” vs. undocumented), and rank (supervisor vs. worker). Two factors modify these relations: kinship (preferences and privileges for family members) and gender. Reports from survey data collected in 200 interviews in a representative, community-based sample of workers demonstrate that workers' reports of supervisor-worker power relationships are associated with a variety of specific and summary health indicators. The associations are stronger for women than for men. This suggests that among Latino immigrants working in poultry plants, power differences may promote occupational illnesses and injuries, particularly for women. (NIOSH grant OH008335)