At the Slaughterhouse Some Things Never Die

The Social Hierarchy Within the Factory

• Whites • • Indians

Black Men

Mexicans

Black Women

Job Assignments

• Whites are managers, supervisors, or boxers• Indians have many of the same jobs as whites• Physically able black men are placed in the kill

room• Mexicans are in charge of carving up the pigs• Black Women clean the feces and bacteria

from the intestines of the pigs

Pay

• Whites and indians make the highest wages $12 and higher an hour

• Black men on the kill floor do okay at $12 an hour

• Mexicans make $7.70 an hour as do black women

• All employees start at five and end at three and work non-stop in order to meet quota

Ever-present Racism

• “We built this country and we ain’t going to hand them everything”– One Black Man

• The lunch room is self segregated with the four major ethnicities congregating amongst themselves

• The constant push of foreman builds angst and resentment amongst the races

• Deeply routed stereotypes and bigotry plagues the employees

Discussion Questions• What is the connection between racism and hardship?• How do multibillion-dollar-a-year industries get away with

what goes on behind closed doors?• Do grueling labor conditions make racial tension more

likely among co-workers?• How are racial minorites attacking other racial minorities?• How is the "white supremacy" shown in this article?• Are these people really that desperate for jobs?• What appauls you more the racisim in the factory or the

gross conditions/the job itself?