Dozens Of Kids Were Cleaning Midwest Meatpacking Plants, Labor Department Finds

The Labor Division says a sanitation contractor employed dozens of kids in harmful roles at meatpacking vegetation in Nebraska and Minnesota.

The company went to federal court docket on Wednesday looking for an injunction in opposition to Packer’s Sanitation Companies Inc. (PSSI), alleging at the least 31 youngsters had labored for the corporate in “oppressive baby labor.” Officers say they ranged in age from 13 to 17, and their obligations included cleansing hazardous gear throughout in a single day shifts.

The Labor Division stated in its submitting that Packer’s violated the Honest Labor Requirements Act by using the minors, who allegedly labored at vegetation owned by meatpacking large JBS and the poultry processor Turkey Valley Farms.

“The Labor Division additionally alleged that PSSI violated the regulation by “intimidating minor employees to cease them from cooperating with investigators."”

The company has requested a decide to subject a brief restraining order stopping the corporate from using minors whereas it continues to analyze.

“Investigators additionally realized that a number of minors employed by PSSI ­— together with one 13-years-old — suffered caustic chemical burns and different accidents,” the Labor Division stated in a press launch.

PSSI couldn't instantly be reached for touch upon Saturday.

In its submitting, the Labor Division additionally alleged that PSSI violated the regulation by “intimidating minor employees to cease them from cooperating with investigators.” They are saying the corporate “manipulated and deleted” employment recordsdata.

Officers started their investigation in August after receiving a referral from native regulation enforcement about doable baby labor violations at a plant in Grand Island, Nebraska. Investigators then interviewed confidential sources about youngsters allegedly cleansing the ability throughout graveyard shifts.

A photograph from the Labor Division's court docket submitting reveals a PSSI worker working in a meatpacking plant.

Labor Division

Investigators “witnessed a number of employees getting into the JBS facility in Grand Island, Nebraska, through the PSSI in a single day cleansing shift who gave the impression to be minors based mostly on their stature and look,” in response to the court docket submitting.

Officers say they subpoenaed faculty data from native center and excessive faculties and decided “three minors had labored in a single day shifts for PSSI on the Grand Island JBS facility,” together with one who suffered a chemical burn.

On its web site, PSSI says it affords cleansing and sanitation companies to the meatpacking and warehousing industries. It’s widespread for giant corporations like JBS to contract out sanitation work to outdoors corporations in order that the employees are technically employed by different corporations although they work contained in the plant.

The agency payments itself as “your accomplice in waste discount and price financial savings.”

Different Labor Division filings present PSSI just lately employed union-avoidance consultants to stop workers from becoming a member of the United Meals and Business Staff union.