It's Unscrupulous, but it's Kosher?

Like many orthodox Jews, I am against the idea of a “Hechsher Tzedek”, a kashruth seal of approval that certifies both the halachic kashruth and the ethical quality of the food production. But please bear with me. I seem to have a commonsense position that many proponents of Hechsher Tzedek might be able to accept. I shall use the Rubashkin Circus for my example. I know there are Rabbis who have said that there's only one thing that matters: Was the meat processed according to Halacha? To this question, I have an answer.

To a large extent, we trust the people who produce our kosher meat to police themselves, and to work accurately. If we know that the people controlling kosher meat production have no respect for secular law; if we know that some of their workers are mere teenagers who work twenty hours a day; how can we begin to assume that their kashruth is accurate?

In general, if a family does not observe the sabbath, their observance of kashruth is suspect. And if we know that people work very, very long hours, we know their work cannot be error-free. Similarly, if a meat processor seems to observe and respect nothing but halacha, and forces workers to work far past the limits of accurate work, we cannot trust him. For the Rubashkins at least, we need no new seal of approval, just a little common sense.