Grocery Update #44: All Labor Still Has Dignity: MLK And The Grocery Industry.

Also: Essential Workers Push Back Against Mass Deportations and Rampant Safety Risks In Meat Processing .

Discontents: 1. “All Labor Has Dignity” — Martin Luther King, Jr. And The Grocery Industry. 2. United Farm Workers Respond To Deportations. 3. New USDA Reports Confirm Risks To Hog and Poultry Processing Workers. 4. New SFA Trade Show in 2026: Winter FancyFaire. 5. Seen In The Wild. 6. Tunes.

1. “All Labor Has Dignity” — Martin Luther King, Jr. And The Grocery Industry.

One of the biggest influences on my thought process has been the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (MLK). To me, he represents how to live a life of tolerance, compassion, commitment and most of all, solidarity. His most famous speech, the “I Have A Dream” address, was given at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which so eloquently demanded voting rights and an end to segregation, but also fair wages, good jobs and better standards of living, economic liberties as well as civil rights. So, while MLK is canonized for his civil rights leadership and non-violent activism, incorrectly held up as a counterpoint to Malcolm X’s militant Black nationalism, MLK was also deeply critical of the economic injustice, inequality and exploitation that are still so prevalent today. This latter part of MLK’s philosophy tends to get whitewashed and sanitized. MLK was not a pushover. He was a total badass and we should reconsider his legacy for the grocery industry.

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”-MLK

MLK’s civil rights activism grew out of the Christian church’s philosophy of solidarity and social justice and his embrace of Gandhian strategic nonviolence, but also the labor and community activism of his predecessors, such as Ralph Abernathy and A. Phillip Randolph. He was an ally of progressive Rabbi Abraham Heschel, uniting Blacks and Jews in common cause. He was a disruptor of the status quo and a rabble rouser. It made him very unpopular at the time.

“It is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he should lift himself up by his own bootstraps. It is even worse to tell a man to lift himself up by his own bootstraps when somebody is standing on the boot.”-MLK

MLK had an 80% disapproval rating with our grandparent’s generation and was despised by the media, big business, cultural tastemakers, southern segregationists and, or course, the federal government, including FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, who surveilled, threatened and terrorized MLK, his family and his close associates. When MLK was assassinated in 1968, he was on site supporting sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite all of mainstream society bearing down on him and his quest for economic justice, there was MLK in Memphis, still marching and organizing with essential workers until the very end, his life cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

“Floods of consumer goods, superhighways, supermarkets, and Telstars [satellites] do not obscure the existence of shameful prejudice.”-MLK.

MLK saw that economic justice was key to the changes he had preached, marched for and written about. He was critical of consumer society and big business. He foresaw how deindustrialization and offshoring would shatter his vision of the promised land. He questioned and challenged the war machine and why society was spending money on space exploration while millions languished in poverty. MLK had an unflinching analysis of capitalism, but also how essential workers could work within the framework of American democracy to win better livelihoods for themselves, their communities and their descendants.

“I have nothing against exploration of the moon or the planets, but if we can reach so high that we can challenge the mysteries and dangers of space, surely we can challenge the poverty and discrimination under our feet.”-MLK.

Why are we covering this in the Grocery Update? MLK’s economic philosophy is even more relevant today, especially where up to 75% of grocery employees have been food insecure and over 10% have been homeless in recent years, where seven of the ten lowest paying jobs are in the food industry, where farmworkers are still mostly excluded from basic labor protections, where Amazon employs 36% of warehouse personnel but accounts for over 53% of warehouse injuries, where multiple studies document how Walmart drives down wages and living standards while driving up government subsidies in heartland communities whose economies have been strip-mined by the same Walton family that then throws some chump change at regenerative agriculture, where migrant and undocumented workers perform some of the most daunting, dangerous jobs in livestock and row crop farm work, as well as meat processing and food manufacturing, under threats of deportation and harassment by law enforcement, sexual violence and worse. So while there are opportunities in the grocery industry for some of us to make a good living, start a business, move up the corporate ladder and graduate into the middle class, that is not the case for many, many people who we depend on for our livelihoods, who make sure these supply chains keep running no matter what.

“Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes.”-MLK.

This legacy of MLK is carried on today by Amazon workers demanding safer jobs and better pay, and by Florida farmworkers holding growers accountable through legal binding purchase agreements with grocers, or by Whole Foods clerks in Philadelphia demanding that the company return to its roots of providing best in class wages and benefits, by the food processing workers at Kellogg’s, Mondelez and Frito Lay who walked off their jobs during Covid-19 to demand better pay, commensurate with their skills and productivity, or by the poultry processing workers pushing for safer line speeds and better staffing levels, by the immigrant dairy workers risking deportation while marching for fair wages, better housing and decent medical care, or by high road purchasing managers making sure their brands, stores and facilities sell the highest quality, most ethically sourced products that take into account worker treatment, agrochemical usage and fair wages. MLK’s economic ideas are more relevant than ever, especially to the grocery industry.

“The fact is that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed — that’s the long, sometimes tragic and turbulent story of history.”-MLK.

2. United Farm Workers Respond To Deportations in Kern County, CA.

Farmworkers are already in the crosshairs for deportation. With labor shortages throughout the grocery industry, increased Border Patrol activity is not only terrorizing immigrant communities, but risking another round of grocery price inflation. The United Farmworkers (UFW), founded in 1962 by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in Delano, California, has worked for decades to improve working conditions, raise wages, and promote nonviolence, is advocating for its members and their communities amidst these troubling events.

The United Farm Workers stated, “Random actions like this are not meant to keep anyone safe. They are intended to terrorize hardworking people. The UFW and our farm worker movement are hard at work on the ground making sure farm workers are prepared for this reality, without being intimidated into accepting dangerous conditions or labor abuse.

“The raids have caused widespread fear and disruption in communities already grappling with the threats of mass deportations by the incoming administration. The briefing brought together UFW and UFW Foundation leaders, who emphasized the widespread fear and anxiety caused by these raids, the critical need for solidarity with affected families, and contested Border Patrol disinformation around the scope of the operation and the nature of impacted community members.”

Areli Arteaga, United Farm Workers Political/Legislative Director said: “Since last Tuesday, January 7th, the UFW has been flooded with calls from workers in Kern County asking for help and guidance after the recasting Border Patrol raids in the community. Despite Border Patrol’s demonstrably false claim that this raid was targeting criminals, we believe that this operation went far beyond that. We are heartbroken to share that two UFW members were detained by Border Patrol and are now in Mexico. Both members had lived and worked in the United States for more than 15 years; one leaves behind two children under 10 years old, the other leaves behind 4 children, between 4 and 10 years old. In both cases, this is a farm worker family that has lost a father, a husband, and the primary breadwinner. This is the heartbreaking reality of mass deportation threats that have already emboldened individuals to sow devastation in our communities amongst the very hardworking immigrant workers who harvest all our food.”

Antonio De Loera-Brust, United Farm Workers Communications Director said: “Among the dangerous consequences of this sort of immigration raid can be a chilling effect in the workplace. We know that undocumented workers who are afraid of getting deported are less likely to speak out against wage theft or workplace abuse. The widespread fear and anxiety caused by Border Patrol across Kern County last week is now an added challenge for the UFW as we continue to organize farm workers of all immigration status to win the better wages and working conditions that the workers who feed America deserve. As such, these raids also run the real risk of lowering wages and workplace conditions for U.S. citizen workers as well.”

Ambar Tovar, UFW Foundation Director of Legal Services said: “Last week’s Border Patrol operation in Kern County was a scare tactic to terrorize farm workers and the immigrant community on their way to and from work. This sudden operation comes at a time when farm workers and immigrant residents are already terrified of the threat of mass deportations promised by the incoming administration. Border Patrol conducted this intensive operation by racially profiling innocent people and processing them more than 300 miles away from their loved ones. Farm workers are the backbone of America's food supply, and this Border Patrol operation sought to destroy the very fabric that feeds this nation.”

Please follow UFW on social media:

Facebook:United Farm Workers
X (formerly Twitter):@ufwupdates
Instagram:@ufwupdates
TikTok:@unitedfarmworkers
BlueSky:@ufw.bsky.social

3. New USDA Reports Confirm Risks To Hog and Poultry Processing Workers.

On January 10th, 2025, the USDA released two studies confirming that poultry and swine workers face heightened risks of carpal tunnel syndrome and other upper extremity disorders. These injuries result from the dangerous combination of excessively high line speeds and insufficient staffing in swine and poultry processing plants where workers are forced to perform repetitive motions at an unsustainable pace. According to the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance, a coalition of 52 food workers, farmer, science, environmental and advocacy organizations, the USDA findings show that the meat and poultry industry ranks among the harshest working environments in the US food system.

“The USDA’s studies confirm the harsh and grueling conditions the men and women workers at these processing plants endure,” said Jose Oliva, Campaigns Director at the HEAL Food Alliance. “Most of these workers are people of color, immigrants and refugees, afraid to speak out on health and safety conditions for fear of retaliation or immigration action against them. These studies emphasize this risk: hundreds of thousands of poultry workers are among the meat processing workers who face an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other crippling upper extremity disorders. However, this risk of injury could be alleviated by slowing down line speeds and increasing the number of workers.”

In meatpacking and processing plants across the country, thousands of workers stand side by side working in cold, damp, and dangerously loud conditions, wielding knives, scissors, and other sharp equipment to cut up and process chickens and hogs for supermarkets. Many of these workers receive minimal training before handling these tools, increasing the risk of injury.

According to the Retail Wholesale & Department Store Union, workers in the average poultry plant slaughter and process between 250,000 and 450,000 chickens daily. Similarly, pork slaughter and processing plants handle between 11,000 and 20,000 hogs each day. These staggering numbers underscore the intense pressure on workers to meet production quotas, often at the expense of their health and safety.

Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern United States, as well as meatpacking and processing workers in other parts of the country issued the following statement:

“America’s meat processing workers feed American families, but at a staggering cost to themselves. The USDA today released two studies emphasizing this risk; hundreds of thousands of poultry workers are among the American meat processing workers at increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other crippling upper extremity disorders.

“Poultry workers toil in cramped, cold conditions, slicing up birds thousands of times per hour as chickens rush down the line. Along with the disorders caused by repetitive motions, these workers are at constant risk of cuts, punctures, scrapes, trips, falls, and wear and tear on their bodies. It’s no surprise that poultry workers are twice as likely as the average American worker to suffer a severe wrist injury, and seven times as likely to develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

“We call upon OSHA and the USDA in the incoming administration to make worker safety a priority, and mitigate risk at poultry plants to address the dangerous conditions outlined in the reports. We need to mandate job modifications that reduce ergonomic stressors and additional staffing to decrease repetitive motion and work speed; increase workers’ access to early and adequate medical treatment; and create better tool-sharpening programs to reduce the impact of cutting jobs.

“We need to protect the workers who feed America, and ensure that they aren’t treated as disposable commodities.”

“We call on OSHA and the USDA in the incoming administration to prioritize safety in our food system” said Oliva. “Worker safety must become a reality, ensuring that the people who process our food can do so without jeopardizing their health. To reduce health and safety issues in this industry we need ergonomic standards that are enforced in real time by OSHA and created by workers. We must also ensure that workers have access to early and adequate medical treatment. Without immediate action, this report will lead nowhere.”

Oliva added, “It’s also crucial to highlight that the risk in poultry processing is significantly higher than in swine processing. This disparity is largely due to the difference in unionization rates: while about 60% of swine workers are unionized, less than 30% of poultry workers have union representation. This lack of a collective voice on the job leaves poultry workers more vulnerable.”

HEAL Food Alliance, RWDSU and allies are now urging immediate action to require worker-defined and industry-wide ergonomic standards, improve training, and ensure medical support for workers.

4. New SFA Trade Show in 2026: Winter FancyFaire.

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) announced today the launch of a new trade show. Winter FancyFaire* will make its debut in San Diego in January 2026 over three days, centered at the San Diego Convention Center but also spreading beyond it, creating a culinary campus of discovery, connection, and trendsetting.

SFA developed Winter FancyFaire* (WFF*) with an eye towards the future, seeking to offer participants first-to-market opportunities and a first look at the future of specialty food by expanding the ways that makers can bring their products to market and how they are experienced by attendees. The trade show will offer multiple engagement opportunities, welcoming emerging and established makers alike, while putting a spotlight on key consumer trends and the products that fulfill them.

“Innovation is the lifeblood of the CPG industry, and the mission of SFA is to help that innovation come to market”, said Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA). “However, we recognize that the industry has changed and starting, growing and sustaining a CPG brand is more challenging than ever. Winter FancyFaire* was designed with this reality in mind, providing brands of all sizes a unique platform to connect with the buying community, gain valuable insights, and explore opportunities for growth.”

Following its 2026 debut in San Diego, WFF* will move to San Francisco in 2027. The two California cities, renowned for their food cultures, enhance the value of the show for participants by providing access to an abundance of retailers, restaurants, and suppliers that’s nearly unmatched anywhere else in the United States.

The current schedule for Winter FancyFaire* is:

2026 Winter FancyFaire* – January 11-13, San Diego

2027 Winter FancyFaire* – January 17-19, San Francisco

WFF* will also take advantage of these locations by offering activations and experiences that go beyond the convention centers to immerse participants in the local retail and culinary scenes. “The trade show world – and its attendees – are rapidly evolving,” said Phil Robinson SFA SVP of member development.

“According to recent industry research, Millennials and Gen Z will make up 75% of tradeshow attendees by 2030. The expectations of these generations include more experiential product discovery; identification of trends before they hit the mainstream; immersion and inspiration from local culture; and more data-driven, real-time wayfinding, matchmaking, and socializing. Winter FancyFaire* has been developed from the ground-up to meet these expectations.”

With the launch of Winter FancyFaire*, SFA has also announced the sunsetting of the Winter Fancy Food Show after 2025.

The Summer Fancy Food Show will remain unchanged, with the 2025 trade show taking place June 29 – July 1, 2025, at the Javits Center in New York City.

5. Seen In The Wild

Bountiful piles of chillies in the produce case at Patel Brothers in Decatur, Georgia. Photo by Sage Epstein.

6. Tunes

Peter Tosh was the yang to Bob Marley’s yin in The Wailers. Tosh then put out some of the hardest and stone cold chillest reggae when he flew solo.

(Perspectives are 100% our own and do not reflect those of our sponsors).