I haven't read the book in over 20 years and just started it again, the other day when I had to appear for jury duty. It's a depressing book and when I read it the first time, I remember being quite appalled by the descriptions of the meatpacking industry.
The book follows an immigrant family through many trials and tribulations. The main thing I have noticed, so far, only 100 pages in, is the shitty treatment of the workers and an emphasis on being in a union.
It seems that the US, in particular, (because I can't speak on how other countries run things) seems to have backtracked on workers' rights and fair treatment. Business owners big and small seem to be greedy swindlers. The employees and the consumers suffer for that greed.
I think that this is a good book to read to gain some perspective on how things were at the turn of the century, how bad things were, and how it all compares to today's issues.