OMAHA, Neb. — The issue of minors being employed in hazardous environments, particularly in slaughterhouses, remains a pressing concern. Recently, the Labor Department revealed it has reached its third agreement this week with a company in the livestock sector to address this issue, which includes financial penalties and commitments to improve hiring practices to prevent future instances of underage workers.
On Thursday, the Department disclosed that a firm named QSI, which specializes in cleaning slaughterhouses, had employed 54 minors across 13 meatpacking facilities in eight different states during night shifts between 2021 and 2024. The underage workers were tasked with sanitizing equipment used for processing meats, which presents significant safety risks. This incident marks at least the fourth time in less than three years that a cleaning contractor has been caught using minors in such roles. As a result, QSI will be liable for a $400,000 fine.
QSI disputes the Department’s depiction of the situation, highlighting that investigators did not identify any current juvenile workers during their inspections. The firm also noted that there was no necessitated court agreement with continuous oversight, unlike in previous cases, such as that of PSSI, a company which ultimately paid over $1.5 million and made compliance commitments following significant violations.
Earlier this week, Perdue Farms, another major player in the industry, agreed to a settlement of $4 million after underage workers were found employed at one of its chicken processing locations in Virginia. Additionally, JBS Foods, a leader in the meatpacking sector, also consented to a $4 million penalty and reforms aimed at preventing child employment in their facilities.
These recent agreements emerge just ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration and are part of a larger trend of child labor investigations within the meatpacking sector in recent years. As Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA official during the Obama administration, explains, these announcements reinforce the Biden administration’s efforts to combat child labor in perilous industries while prompting the incoming leadership to take notice.
The employment of minors in hazardous occupations is illegal under federal regulations. However, since the initiation of the PSSI investigation in late 2022, numerous violations have continued to surface. In the previous fiscal year, the Labor Department uncovered more than 4,000 minors working in contradiction to child labor laws across various sectors.
This investigation into PSSI was triggered by a serious incident involving a 13-year-old who experienced a critical chemical burn from cleaning agents used at a JBS plant in Nebraska. Consequently, further inquiries unveiled widespread misuse of underage labor by PSSI. This residue fostered calls across the industry for stricter hiring standards to ensure minors are not permitted to work in harmful environments. While some of the major meat companies like JBS, Tyson Foods, and Smithfield Foods attribute these issues to contractors, officials assert that the companies hold ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance throughout their supply chains.
According to Seema Nanda, Solicitor of Labor, the Department is dedicated to safeguarding children from being placed in dangerous jobs, establishing strict enforcement methods to influence industries at large. Among the recent settlements, Mar-Jac Poultry in Mississippi faced a $165,000 fine following the death of a 16-year-old worker. Similarly, Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, based in Tennessee, agreed to pay nearly $650,000 after investigations uncovered that at least two dozen minors were employed to sanitize risky meat processing sites in Iowa and Virginia.
Along with federal inquiries, some states have initiated their own investigations. Last fall, Smithfield Foods reached a $2 million agreement to settle claims regarding child labor violations at a Minnesota facility.
In the latest findings, the Labor Department revealed that QSI, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as part of the Vincit Group, had employed minors during overnight shifts at 13 meat processing facilities across various states, including Alabama, California, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. However, the Department did not disclose the identities of the plant owners involved.
A representative for QSI, Dan Scorpio, expressed doubt regarding the accuracy of the Department’s claims, arguing that investigators failed to provide specific violations for verification. He emphasized QSI’s commitment to maintaining a strict no-tolerance policy regarding underage employment, stating that the company has implemented significant reforms over the past two and a half years to enhance its hiring and compliance practices.
Perdue Farms had minors working at its Virginia plant, where dangerous tools were used in chicken slaughtering. Although the JBS settlement did not confirm that minors worked directly for the company, there have been incidents reported at their facilities.
The Labor Department has made it clear that companies too frequently deflect responsibility by pinning the blame on staffing agencies or subcontractors. However, all entities involved share the obligation to ensure protection for the nation’s most vulnerable workers.
In response to the increasing prevalence of child labor violations, the Labor Department is currently pursuing over 1,000 active investigations. The settlements agreed upon by companies include stipulations designed to improve hiring practices, aimed at preventing future violations.
These measures entail training for all managerial staff on how to identify and avoid hiring underage applicants, as well as rigorous checks against false identification. Companies are also mandated to ensure that subcontractors adhere to certain responsibilities, maintain hotlines for reporting child labor violations, and keep comprehensive records of employee information, including birth dates.
Moreover, organizations are expected to implement disciplinary actions against any individual found hiring minors unlawfully, reinforcing the commitment to protect children from being wrongfully employed in hazardous jobs.
