The studies compared worker outcomes at plants with varied line speeds and did not find a clear correlation between the slaughter line speed and worker injuries. However, the studies found 81 percent of poultry workers and 46 percent of pork workers had increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders across the board and reported high rates of moderate to severe upper extremity pain. Workers who had a higher “piece rate,” a measure of individual job pace, did have increased risk of injury. In other words, working faster did have an impact, but line speeds weren’t always associated with faster work.

In response, the Republican Agriculture Committee chairs released a joint statement that characterized the studies as a Biden administration attempt to villainize the chicken and pork industries and as proof that faster line speeds are safe. “We look forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to develop a long-term solution to ensure meat and poultry companies have the ability to operate at higher line speeds, while maintaining rigorous food safety and worker safety standards,” they wrote.