User blog comment:ChishioKunrin/The Schnee Dust Company's treatment of Faunus workers/@comment-25368963-20150118051529/@comment-3146930-20150118052552

It isn't that far fetched. We learn in the part of the series that Faunus for the most part are treated as less than human, as they are fighting for civil rights. This means they don't have the same rights as regular humans so it is implied they aren't paid as much, can only get crappy jobs, and from what we know of the White Fang there are stores that refuse to serve them goods and services. Going by this, they aren't slaves but they are maybe just one step above. The SDC may hire them, but the working conditions are probably abysmal.