Lawsuit Against Faster Hog Slaughter Lines Moves Forward

A group of labor unions can continue to challenge a USDA rule that they say unsafely increases line speeds for workers on hog slaughter production lines, a federal judge in Minnesota ruled.

The unions showed they had standing to bring that claim because the agency’s elimination of maximum speed limits could expose their members to more injuries, Judge Joan N. Ericksen of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota said in a Wednesday order.

“Plaintiffs’ theory of harm hardly requires speculation: slaughterhouse workers, operating in close quarters and using sharp objects to trim meat from carcasses, will face ...