April 14, 2023
Investigation finds children illegally employed in dangerous conditions; exploitive company pays US$1.5 Million in Penalties
An investigation by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) found that one of the largest food safety sanitation contracting companies in the United States, Packers Sanitation Services Inc. LTD (PSSI), illegally employed at least 102 children between the ages of 13 and 17. The company PSSI paid $1.5 million US dollars (about 27.5 million Mexican pesos) in fines for this violation.
DOL investigators found that children worked in dangerous conditions at PSSI, including night shifts, working with dangerous chemicals, and cleaning dangerous meat processing equipment at 13 meat processing facilities in eight states. At least three children were injured while working for PSSI.
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division began investigating PSSI for illegal child labor in August 2022. The investigation found that the company had received a warning for identifying that it did indeed employ children, but that PSSI ignored the warning. It also discovered that the PSSI adults who recruited, hired, and supervised these children attempted to stop the investigation.
On November 9, 2022, the Department of Labor filed a complaint in court against PSSI. This complaint led to a judge prohibiting PSSI from continuing to violate child labor laws. On December 6, 2022, PSSI formally agreed to follow the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) and take significant steps to ensure they follow the law in the future, such as hiring an outside compliance specialist to make sure that the company is complying with the laws. And finally, on February 16, 2023, the company paid a $1.5 million dollar fine for illegally employing at least 102 children.
Workers have the power to hold their employers accountable. The U.S. Department of Labor has made it clear that it will not tolerate violations of child labor laws. All workers in the U.S., regardless of their immigration status, have rights on the job.
If you believe you are being mistreated at work in the United States, call the Center for Migrant Rights, Inc. (CDM). We can help you learn about your rights at work in the United States, including options to protect yourself if you choose to speak out about the abuse. Depending on your situation, you may be able to apply for immigration relief protections to temporarily remain in the U.S. to file a complaint against your employer.
Please note that this blog is not legal advice. For more information, call CDM at 800-590-1773 (from Mexico) or 1-855-234-9699 (from the United States), our office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MX, from Monday to Friday.
Link to DOL note: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20230217-1
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