A sanitation company based in Tennessee, Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, has been ordered to pay civil penalties of nearly $650,000 and cease employing minors after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor revealed the company had hired at least two dozen children to clean hazardous meat processing facilities in Iowa and Virginia. It was found that the company had employed underage workers, some as young as 14, to sanitize dangerous equipment in settings where animals are slaughtered and processed. Federal law prohibits individuals under the age of 18 from working in such facilities due to safety concerns.
Specifically, Fayette was accused of employing 15 underage workers at a Perdue Farms plant in Virginia and at least nine at Seaboard Triumph Foods in Iowa. The tasks included cleaning equipment such as head splitters, jaw pullers, and meat bandsaws in dangerous conditions. The investigation revealed that a 14-year-old worker was severely injured while cleaning a drumstick packing line belt at the Virginia plant. Both Perdue Farms and Seaboard Triumph Foods terminated their contracts with Fayette in response to the allegations. In addition to paying civil penalties, Fayette has agreed to hire a third-party consultant to monitor compliance with child labor laws for three years and establish a hotline for reporting concerns about child labor abuses.
The consent judgment with Fayette marks another instance of child labor violations within the meat processing industry. The Department of Labor has highlighted cases such as the fatalities of a 16-year-old worker at a Mississippi poultry plant and another 16-year-old worker at a sawmill in Wisconsin. Last year, over 100 children were found to be illegally employed by Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) across 13 meatpacking plants, resulting in the company paying over $1.5 million in civil penalties. These incidents underscore the importance of enforcing child labor laws and ensuring the safety of young workers in hazardous environments.
Concerns about child labor abuses have prompted federal investigations into various industries, including meat processing plants where underage workers have been found to be at risk. In the case of Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, the company’s agreement to pay civil penalties and cease employing minors is a significant step towards addressing the issue. By imposing penalties and requiring compliance measures such as hiring a third-party consultant and establishing a hotline for reporting violations, the Department of Labor aims to prevent future incidents of child labor exploitation in meat processing facilities.
The impact of child labor violations extends beyond financial penalties, as injuries and fatalities resulting from underage work raise serious safety concerns. The case of the 14-year-old worker who was severely injured while cleaning equipment at a meat processing plant underscores the dangers faced by young individuals in hazardous work environments. By holding companies accountable for employing minors and implementing preventive measures, authorities aim to protect the well-being of young workers and ensure compliance with child labor laws. Efforts to address and prevent child labor violations in industries like meat processing are essential for safeguarding the rights and safety of underage workers.
