Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz Calls For McD's Boycott

One of the Latina stars of Ugly Betty, Ana Ortiz, has taken action on behalf of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and written a letter urging the President of the National Council of La Raza to refrain from any future partnerships with McDonalds. McDonald's was the sponsor for the NCLR's conference this year in Chicago.

La razón behind Ana's plea: unfit working conditions and cruel slaughter practices. In her letter, she cites poor wages paid to workers, many of whom are Hispanic immigrants, and goes on to give some graphic description about the company's methods of killing the chickens.

What do you guys think of all this??

Photo via Getty Images

Click after the jump to check out Ana's letter.

October 7, 2009

Janet Murguia
President and CEO
National Council of La Raza

Via fax: 202-776-1792

Dear Ms. Murguia,

I was shocked to learn that McDonald’s sponsored the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) 2009 conference in Chicago. As an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Hispanic Americans, you certainly must be aware that McDonald’s has very close ties to an industry that’s notorious for exploiting Hispanic immigrants—not to mention the fact that the company is responsible for the suffering and abuse of millions of animals every year.

The slaughterhouse is a dismal place for workers. The dim lighting and filthy air—which is filled with dust, debris, and feathers from terrified birds’ flapping wings—leads to accidents and injuries. Chickens struggle, peck, and scratch in resistance and frequently vomit and defecate as a result of stress. Poorly paid slaughterhouse workers—many of whom are Hispanic immigrants—usually receive no medical benefits despite their susceptibility to on-the-job injuries. Because companies will often fire these employees rather than pay for medical care, many workers do not seek treatment for their injuries out of fear of losing their jobs.

In addition, chickens killed for McDonald’s are dumped from their transport crates onto conveyor belts, and their fragile legs are forced into metal shackles. The birds are then dragged through an electric stun bath, which immobilizes the animals but does not render them insensible to pain. Their throats are cut by a spinning blade, however some birds are cut through their wings or torsos instead. Often severely mutilated but still conscious, the birds whose throats miss the cutting blade are then scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

McDonald’s has no regard for animals or for the people who are paid an unfair wage to kill them. We urge you to avoid partnering with McDonald's for any future NCLR events; in addition, we hope that you will encourage the company to adopt the more humane methods currently available in order to improve the lives of workers and chickens. Thank you for your time and attention.

I can be reached through PETA’s Michelle Cho at 323-644-7382, extension 25, or MichelleC@peta.org.

Sincerely,

Ana Ortiz

Tags Ana Ortiz, NCLR, Peta, Ugly Betty