U.S. Department of Labor Investigates Alleged Employment of Minors in Meat Processing Plants

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The U.S. Department of Labor has brought forth allegations against a Tennessee-based firm, asserting that it illegally employed children as young as 13 years old. These minors were reportedly tasked with cleaning hazardous equipment such as head splitters and jaw pullers within meat processing plants during overnight shifts.

Ongoing Probe and Previous Incidents

This development unfolds within the context of an ongoing investigation into the potential employment of migrant children in U.S. slaughterhouses. Less than a year ago, the government levied a fine of $1.5 million against another sanitation services provider for employing over 100 minors, aged 13 to 17, across multiple meat processing plants in eight states. Such actions contravene federal law, which explicitly prohibits minors from engaging in work within meat processing facilities due to the heightened risk of injury.

Allegations Against Fayette Janitorial Services

The Labor Department’s recent actions include a request for a federal court injunction against Fayette Janitorial Services, headquartered in Somerville, Tennessee. The investigation found that the company had enlisted minors for overnight shifts to fulfill sanitation contracts within meat and poultry processing facilities.

  

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Fayette Janitorial Services, operating across approximately 30 states with a workforce exceeding 600 employees, allegedly employed minors to clean various equipment on the kill floor, including head splitters, jaw pullers, meat bandsaws, and neck clippers.

Specific Incidents and Responses

Incidents cited by the Labor Department include the employment of 15 children as young as 13 at a Perdue Farms processing plant in Accomac, Virginia, resulting in severe injury to a 14-year-old. Additionally, at least nine children were reportedly employed at a Seaboard Triumph Foods facility in Sioux City, Iowa.

Both Perdue Farms and Seaboard terminated their contracts with Fayette upon learning of these allegations. Perdue emphasized its commitment to stringent eligibility verification for all associates and vendors, while Seaboard confirmed the termination of contracts upon discovery of the situation.

Despite these allegations, Fayette Janitorial Services has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Migrant Children and Broader Implications

The Department of Labor’s investigation was prompted by a published report detailing the employment of migrant children in poultry-processing facilities on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Reports revealed children as young as 14 engaging in hazardous cleaning tasks using acid and pressure hoses.

This issue extends beyond migrant children, as evidenced by the tragic death of a 16-year-old high school student in a Wisconsin sawmill accident. The Department of Labor underscores its commitment to collaborating with federal agencies to combat child labor exploitation nationwide.

Jessica Looman, administrator at the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, reiterated the agency’s resolve to enforce laws preventing the exploitation of children in dangerous workplaces, emphasizing the imperative to prevent further harm in the future.