Thursday, March 6, 2014 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama, The undersigned organizations are writing to urge you to withdraw the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule on the “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection.” With this proposed rule, the USDA wants to allow poultry company employees to do the job currently done by 800 USDA inspectors. The department is promoting this change as an opportunity to modernize the inspection program. But what it boils down to is an attempt to cut USDA’s workforce, by putting the health and safety of consumers and workers at risk. The department is basing its proposed rule on the results of a pilot program it has been conducting since 1998 in about two dozen poultry slaughter plants. In poultry slaughter facilities where conventional inspection is conducted, each USDA inspector assigned to the slaughter line is responsible for evaluating carcasses for food safety and wholesomeness defects. Each USDA inspector is expected to evaluate up to 35 birds per minute. There could be as many as four USDA inspectors assigned to each slaughter line. In plants participating in the pilot project, only one USDA inspector is assigned to each slaughter line. In an analysis of USDA inspection records from 14 poultry plants participating in the pilot project, Food & Water Watch found that company employees missed food safety and wholesomeness defects at an alarming rate – as high as 99 percent in one turkey slaughter plant. Plants in the pilot project also run with higher line speeds. Under the proposed rule, line speeds will be allowed to increase to 175 birds per minute in all poultry slaughter facilities. Proper inspection cannot occur at these excessive line speeds, whether conducted by a trained USDA inspector or a company employee. But the USDA wants consumers to believe that the use of a chemical cocktail at the end of the slaughter process is enough to deal with any food safety issues that might be missed by company employees or the one USDA inspector assigned to the slaughter line. The proposed rule puts company employees in the role of protecting consumer safety, but does not require them to receive any training before performing duties normally performed by government inspectors. And lack of training is not the only impact this rule will have on workers. Increased line speeds will put worker safety in jeopardy. Numerous organizations representing workers, including the American Federation of Government Employees, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Council of La Raza, have strongly opposed this proposed rule. This proposed rule would let the fox guard the hen house, at the expense of worker safety and consumer protection. We urge you to stop any further consideration of this ill-conceived proposal. Sincerely, A Step Forward, Inc. Lana Carter, Chairwoman Center for Media and Democracy Rebekah Wilce, Food Rights Network All Things Food Director Monique Tressler, Owner Alliance for Democracy – Oregon Central Co-op David Delk, President Webster Walker, Community Outreach Administrator Animal Protection of New Mexico Elisabeth Jennings, Executive Director Citizens for a Clean Pompton Lakes Lisa Riggiola, Executive Director Ashtbaula, Geauga, Lake Counties Farmers Union Citizens for Sanity.Com, Inc. Mardy Townsend, President Clay G. Colson, Board Director and Water Issues Chair Baltimore Free Farm Reagan Hooton, Committee Member Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Los Angeles (CLUE-LA) Brooklyn Food Coalition Rabbi Jonathan Klein, Executive Director Jean Weisman, Co-Chair Labor Committee Climatemama Harriet Shugarman Bucks County Taste Lynne Goldman & Mark Feffer, Colorado Interfaith Power and Light Publisher The Rev. Elias D. Burgos, Executive Director Camino de Paz School & Farm Patricia Pantano, Director Colorado Jobs with Justice Candace Johnson, Organizer Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform Crawford Stewardship Project Steve Etka, Policy Director Kathy Byrne, Co-Coordinator Joann Lo, Executive Director Crossroads Community Farm, LLC Cassie Noltnerwyss, Co-owner Food Democracy Now! David Murphy, Founder, Executive CWA Local 1082 Director Alberto Hernandez, President Friends of the Earth Daily Kos Lisa Archer, Director - Food and Chris Bowers, Senior Campaign Director Technology Program Dakota Rural Action Full Harvest Farm, LLC Frank James, Director Terry Vlossak Devotay Restaurant & Bar Garden State Earth Institute Kurt Friese, Chef/Owner Claire Mayer, President Earth Learning Gateway Christian Church Mario Yanez. Director Joe Domico, Chair EcoLakewood GMO Free NY Tom Bullock, Co-Chair Stacie Orell, Campaign Director Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage GMO Free Oregon Nancy Sullivan, Board Member Laura Largent, Organizer Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Good Enough For Kids South Central Michigan Jan Cho, Owner Janet Kauffman, Vice-President Grand Valley Peace and Justice Family Farm Defenders Tom Acker John E. Peck, Executive Director Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit FamilyFarmed.org Gloria Rivera, IHM, Coordinator Jim Slama Green Zebra LLC Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Corey Meeks, Owner Judith McGeary Flint Hill Farm Educational Center Hummingbird Wholesale Kathleen Fields, Owner Charlie Tilt, Co-Owner Florida PIRG Hunger Action LA Dalyn Houser, Program Associate Frank Tamborello, Executive Director Food Chain Workers Alliance Hunger Action Network of NYS Mark Dunlea. Executive Director Magic City Farm iEat Green Tamara Hendershot, Owner Bhavani Jaroff, Founder Maryland Environmental Health Illinois Farmers Union Network Norbert Brauer, President Rebecca Ruggles, Director Illinois Stewardship Alliance Michigan Farmers Union Wes King, Executive Director Sandra Nordmark, Vice President Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming Missouri Rural Crisis Center Judy McCullough, Member Rhonda Perry, Program Director Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Mo' Betta Green MarketPlace Beverly Grant, Founder Shefali Sharma. Director, Agricultural Commodities and Globalization National Family Farm Coalition Kathy Ozer, Executive Director Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement National Farmers Union Adam Mason, State Policy Organizing Mike Stranz, Government Relations Director Representative Jobs With Justice Natural Grocers Sarita Gupta, Executive Director Alan Lewis John Six Thirty Five LLC Nature Abounds Carolyn Ioder, Owner Melinda Hughes-Wert, President Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable New Jersey Tenants Organization Future Matthew B. Shapiro, President Robert S. Lawrence, MD, Director North Carolina Environmental Justice La Montanita Coop Network Robin Seydel, Manager Naeema Muhammad, Interim Director Land Stewardship Project Northeast Organic Farming Association Mark Schultz, Policy and Organizing of New York, Inc. (NOFA-NY) Director Kate Mendenhall, Executive Director Local Roots NYC NYCOSH Wen-Jay, Program Director Chalrene Obernauer, Executive Director Ohio Environmental Council Public Citizen Jack Shaner, Deputy Director and Sr. Lori Wallach Director of Legislative and Public Affairs Purely Farm Ohio Farmers Union Marc & Joanna Michini, Owner Joe Logan, President R-CALF-USA Omega 3 Chia Bill Bullard, CEO Nancy McAllister, Partner Ramsey Farmers Market Nancy Boone, Market Manager Oregon Fair Trade Campaign Elizabeth Swager, Director Resilient Roots Gretchen Voight, Co-Founder Oregon State Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) Restaurant Opportunities Center United David Rosenfeld, Executive Director Saru Jayaraman, Co-Director Organic Consumers Association Rural Advancement Foundation Ronnie Cummins, National Director International-USA Scott Marlow, Executive Director Park + Vine Danny Korman, Owner Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (REACH) Pascack Sustainability Group Victor Smith, Executive Director Rosemary Dreger-Carey, Founder & Chair Rutgers Initiative for Permaculture Education Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens Elizabeth Pyshnik, Treasurer Group Maria Payan, Executive Director Secaucus Environmental Commission Amanda Nesheiwat, Chair Philly Neighborhood Networks Gloria M. Gilman, Chair Shagbark Seed & Mill Michelle Ajamian. Owner Poweshiek CARES Joyce Otto, President Sierra Club Ohio Chapter Bob Shields, Chapter Chair Progressive Christians Uniting Timothy Murphy, Executive Director Sierra Club Skylands Group Susan Williams, Chair ProgressOhio Bret Thompson, Policy Director Slow Food Huntington Bhavani Jaroff, Co-Chair Velwest Energy Andy Velwest, Principal Slow Food Northern New Jersey Margaret Noon, Chair Village Bakery, Della Zona Pizzeria, and Catalyst Café Slow Food USA Christine Hughes, Owner Edwin A. Yowell, Co-chair, Food and Farm Policy Committee Voices for Earth Justice Patricia Gillis, Executive Director Snowville Creamery Warren Taylor Western Colorado Congress Rein Van West, President Starbrite Farm Jon Krueger, Owner Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) Sustainable Sea Cliff Cooperative Liz Moran, Regional Organizer Amy Peters, President WhyHunger Taste of Raw Alison Cohen, Senior Director of Karen Hammer, Owner Programs The A Team Foundation Woman's City Club Anna Van Der Hurd Jeanne, VP Civic Engagement The Socially Responsible Agricultural Women, Food and Agriculture Network Project Leigh Adcock, Executive Director Kendra Kimbirauskas, Chief Executive Officer Transition Newton & Northwest NJ Kim Latham, Co-Initiator Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palisades Arlene Corsano University of Cincinnati LEAP (Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection) Mary Gorsek US PIRG Naomi Roth, Field Director .