Child labor....& laws...

[kadee79]

This was mentioned in another thread here, but I think it deserves it's own thread....

It has been nearly 100 years since children were taken out of the coal mines and put in schools, but some red states like Arkansas and Iowa are looking for a new option. For most farms, immigrant workers that came into the United States were hired to work in these jobs. The significant reduction in immigrants created a void for workers. So, Republicans are turning to the next best place for cheap labor: children.

The Washington Post's Jacob Bogage and María Luisa Paúl explained that the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and its lobbying arm, the Opportunity Solutions Project, are behind the effort to make adult workers compete with children.

“Because of the high demand for workers, where there are holes in the system, unfortunately, child laborers can get caught up in staffing some of those holes,” David Weil, a professor of social policy and management at Brandeis University, told the Washington Post in Feb.

The documentary film "The Harvest" shined a light on the plight of children forced to work in the fields, experiencing pesticide exposure and other bad conditions and sparked a movement among some Democrats to pass the Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act). It didn't pass.

www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/a-billionaire-backed-right-wing-lobbying-effort-is-behind-bringing-back-child-labor-in-red-states-report/ar-AA1aeE13?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=ce185c9c09184a81aeff8035737f143d&ei=51


And from further down in the article...

“The Labor Department has seen a 69 percent increase in minors employed in violation of federal law since 2018, officials reported. Between 2018 and 2022, federal regulators opened cases for 4,144 child labor violations covering 15,462 youth workers, according to federal data," said the report.

The claim by conservatives is that barring such child trafficking or banning child labor would harm low-income families by limiting their ability to work and earn money. Conservatives explain that the kids are going to work illegally anyway, so why not regulate it to ensure there are safe conditions. The problem with that claim is that Iowa's new child labor laws built-in protections for businesses, so if a child were injured or killed on the job, the company wouldn't have any responsibility. That's not the case in adult jobs.

[Tennesseer]

Governor Sarah Huckabee last month or so signed the following:

The Republican sponsor of an Arkansas bill, now signed into law by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said that the legislation “came to me from the Foundation [for] Government Accountability.” The law eliminates the requirement for children under 16 to show documentation of their age before being able to work, making it easier for employers to violate child labor laws and illegally employ and exploit immigrant children.

Bills Enabling Child Labor Can Be Traced to This One Conservative Lobbying Group


And in Iowa:

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in Iowa’s Senate passed a controversial bill Tuesday that would allow minors to work longer hours and work in currently banned roles, like serving alcohol at restaurants, the Des Moines Register reported.

Supporters of the bill — mainly Republicans — said it would give children valuable opportunities to work and get paid, whereas opponents — largely Democrats — said it would harm children.

Although two Republicans defied their party and voted against the bill with Democrats, the measure still passed 32-17 in the GOP-controlled Senate. The bill requires approval from the Republican-controlled House and from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to become law.

The bill would allow kids under 16 to work up to six hours a day, which is two more hours than currently allowed for that age group. It would also allow 16- and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol at restaurants, with written permission from their parent or guardian.

Iowa’s Senate advances bill to loosen child labor laws

[daisylu]

JFC. I am glad I don't live in a state like that. And where are the parents? I made my kids get summer jobs when they were 16, mostly to learn about money, but once school started they knew that school came first and could quit anytime. DD did as she worked fast food and they wanted to work her until almost midnight on school nights. DS worked at a greenhouse, so no late nights.

[pulmonarymd]

Just part of the plan to take us back 100 years. They care about children. Yeah, right. Once you are born you are on your own

[Artemis Windsong]

Children of family farmers or ranchers are usually over worked and little or no pay.

I knew of a rancher that would hire problem kids for ranch work.  I don't know what the pay would have been.  Or the ages. 

[Tennesseer]

10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants
Two 10-year-olds were discovered working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, operated by Bauer Food LLC, the Labor Department said.

More than 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, were found working at McDonald's restaurants across Kentucky and several other states in violation of federal labor laws, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

In one case, investigators found two 10-year-olds were working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald's restaurant in Louisville operated by Bauer Food LLC, which is based in Louisville, the department said in a news release.

The two children prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register, investigators found. One of them was also allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16 under federal law.

Most of the restaurants, 45 of the 62, were in Kentucky, according to data released by the department.

The two 10-year-olds were among at least 305 children found to have been employed in violation of federal labor laws across 62 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio, operated under three franchisees — Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, the Labor Department said.

Bauer Food LLC said the two 10-year-olds alleged to have been employed at the McDonald’s restaurant were children of a night manager who were visiting their parent at work and were not approved by franchisee organization management to be in that part of the restaurant.

Rest of article here: 10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants

[wvugurl26]

Right the franchise owner didn't approve. Sure they didn't know about this. Kentucky does not surprise me at all. Children's job is to go to school.

We worked in summers and did some things on the side but school was our top priority.

Republicans only care about forcing the birth. They don't care what happens after that and they don't support family friendly policies.

[djAdvocate]

Apr 24, 2023 18:26:41 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Just part of the plan to take us back 100 years. They care about children. Yeah, right. Once you are born you are on your own

they want more babies to fill their factories.

[djAdvocate]

May 4, 2023 9:08:17 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants
Two 10-year-olds were discovered working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, operated by Bauer Food LLC, the Labor Department said.

More than 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, were found working at McDonald's restaurants across Kentucky and several other states in violation of federal labor laws, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

In one case, investigators found two 10-year-olds were working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald's restaurant in Louisville operated by Bauer Food LLC, which is based in Louisville, the department said in a news release.

The two children prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register, investigators found. One of them was also allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16 under federal law.

Most of the restaurants, 45 of the 62, were in Kentucky, according to data released by the department.

The two 10-year-olds were among at least 305 children found to have been employed in violation of federal labor laws across 62 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio, operated under three franchisees — Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, the Labor Department said.

Bauer Food LLC said the two 10-year-olds alleged to have been employed at the McDonald’s restaurant were children of a night manager who were visiting their parent at work and were not approved by franchisee organization management to be in that part of the restaurant.

Rest of article here: 10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants

i was wondering how they would fill the void left by stopping immigration.

[Tennesseer]

May 6, 2023 12:57:28 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

May 4, 2023 9:08:17 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants
Two 10-year-olds were discovered working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, operated by Bauer Food LLC, the Labor Department said.

More than 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, were found working at McDonald's restaurants across Kentucky and several other states in violation of federal labor laws, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

In one case, investigators found two 10-year-olds were working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald's restaurant in Louisville operated by Bauer Food LLC, which is based in Louisville, the department said in a news release.

The two children prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register, investigators found. One of them was also allowed to operate a deep fryer, a task prohibited for workers under the age of 16 under federal law.

Most of the restaurants, 45 of the 62, were in Kentucky, according to data released by the department.

The two 10-year-olds were among at least 305 children found to have been employed in violation of federal labor laws across 62 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio, operated under three franchisees — Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, the Labor Department said.

Bauer Food LLC said the two 10-year-olds alleged to have been employed at the McDonald’s restaurant were children of a night manager who were visiting their parent at work and were not approved by franchisee organization management to be in that part of the restaurant.

Rest of article here: 10-year-olds among hundreds of children found working at McDonald’s restaurants

i was wondering how they would fill the void left by stopping immigration.

Yea. I don't want some ten year old tending to me while I am a resident in a nursing home.

[tallguy]

May 6, 2023 17:52:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

May 6, 2023 12:57:28 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

i was wondering how they would fill the void left by stopping immigration.

Yea. I don't want some ten year old tending to me while I am a resident in a nursing home.

If all you can do by that point is play checkers or "Go Fish", you might want a ten-year-old or two around.  Just sayin'....

[Tennesseer]

May 6, 2023 19:27:36 GMT -5 tallguy said:

May 6, 2023 17:52:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Yea. I don't want some ten year old tending to me while I am a resident in a nursing home.

If all you can do by that point is play checkers or "Go Fish", you might want a ten-year-old or two around.  Just sayin'....

I'm thinking about bed pans and personal bathing.

[tallguy]

May 6, 2023 19:53:06 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

May 6, 2023 19:27:36 GMT -5 tallguy said:

If all you can do by that point is play checkers or "Go Fish", you might want a ten-year-old or two around.  Just sayin'....

I'm thinking about bed pans and personal bathing.

I didn't say you wanted ALL ten-year-olds around.   

[djAdvocate]

May 6, 2023 17:52:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

May 6, 2023 12:57:28 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

i was wondering how they would fill the void left by stopping immigration.

Yea. I don't want some ten year old tending to me while I am a resident in a nursing home.

consider Costa Rica.

[kadee79]

Back in 1986 I was chatting with a gal I knew who had a couple kids.  She was a single mother & likely in her late 30's or early 40's.  But we were talking about kids getting jobs.  My son had gotten a job at Kroger in a larger town near us.  She told me her 8 or 9 yr. old kid was working at a local ranch.  She said he was cleaning horse stalls.  I asked how much he was getting paid...oh, he's getting $1 a week.  WHAT  Are you kidding?  No, that's all that nasty old man that owns the place will pay him.  I told her she should report the guy but I don't know if she ever did or not.  She looked at it more like she knew where her kid was & he was staying out of trouble....not how poorly he was being treated.