Company Fined For Child Labor Law Violations in Minnesota Slaughterhouses

I can't imagine how this company thought they were going to get away with this flagrant violation of child labor laws. Packers Sanitation Services, Inc, a provider of food sanitation services, was penalized 1.5 million dollars last Friday for employing at least 102 minors for overnight shifts cleaning slaughterhouses in 8 states.

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According to fox9.com, 3 of those slaughterhouses are in Minnesota. Two children were employed at Turkey Valley Farms in Marshall, Minnesota, one child at Buchhead Meat in St Cloud, and 22 children at JBS Foods in Worthington.

Last November, the Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Packers Sanitation Services, Inc prohibiting the company from violating federal child labor laws.

"The Department of Labor has made it absolutely clear that violations of child labor laws will not be tolerated," said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. "No child should ever be subject to the conditions found in this investigation. The courts have upheld the department’s rightful authority to execute federal court-approved search warrants and compelled this employer to change their hiring practices to ensure compliance with the law."

Minors are prohibited from working more than 3 hours a day on school days and overnights, operating any hazardous equipment including motor vehicles, forklifts, etc. according to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Included in the 1.5 million dollars was a sum of $387,450 which equated to $15,138 per child.

The other 7 states involved were Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas.