In June 2024, Mountain State Spotlight released a series of articles outlining labour rights violations experienced by migrant workers at a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken factory in Moorefield, West Virginia. Impacted workers are mainly Hispanic, including workers from Puerto Rico and Mexico, but were also from Souteast Asia and East Africa, the Caribbean, and include undocumented workers. Undocumented workers were employed by Packers Sanitation Services (PSSI), Quintanilla Poultry and Quality, Service, Integrity (QSI) when working at the plant.

The first article outlines safety concerns, including workplace injuries such as workers left with arms ‘hanging by the skin’ after being pulled into machinery, and injuries leading to amputations and overnight hospitalisations. The high rate of injuries at the plant has led a former OSHA chief of staff suggest they are indicative of larger health and safety problems at the workplace. Workers say supervisors have often not taught them how to safely navigate the plant. Workers also describe being denied breaks to use the bathroom, racially discriminatory treatment with white workers treated differently, and intimidatory behaviour.

The second article outlines difficulties the workers experience finding affordable and suitable accommodation. The company allegedly rents units to some employees but charges “hundreds of dollars” more per month the amount considered fair by the federal government. Undocumented workers describe the impact of a lack of access to social security, including struggling to pay bills or buy food.

Pilgrim’s Pride did not respond to journalists’ request for comment. PSSI and QSI said they are committed to hiring documented workers. QSI also said it seeks to provide careers for overlooked workers. PSSI said employees spend the first three weeks in safety training and highlights “significant safety investments”. The owner of Quintanilla Poultry said he was shutting the company down and declined to respond to further questions.