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☆ U.S. Accuses Hyundai and Two Other Companies of Using Child Labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Santul Nerkar | More About Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Labor Department said that through the employment of children at its supplier, Hyundai was in violation of the “hot goods” provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which prevents the interstate commerce of goods “that were produced in violation of the minimum wage, overtime or child labor provisions” of that law. “Companies cannot escape liability by blaming suppliers or staffing companies for child labor violations when they are in fact also employers themselves,” said Seema Nanda, the Labor Department’s chief legal officer, in a statement Thursday. The suit comes after investigations by Reuters and The New York Times documented the use of child labor by the suppliers of car companies. In 2022, Reuters found that Smart Alabama had used child labor at its facility, and that Kia, which is part of the same South Korean conglomerate as Hyundai, had also used child labor in the South. The United Automobile Workers union has said it hopes to organize workers at Hyundai’s Montgomery plant.

Persons: ”, Seema Nanda Organizations: Smart, Best Practice Service, Labor Department, Hyundai, Fair Labor, Act, Labor, Reuters, The New York Times, Smart Alabama, Kia, The Times, General Motors, Ford Motor, The United Automobile Workers Locations: South Korea, Georgia, Hyundai’s Montgomery

☆ Janitorial company hired minors to clean slaughterhouses, US Labor Dept. says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Melissa Alonso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Minors were used to clean dangerous kill floor equipment such as head splitters, jaw pullers, meat bandsaws, and neck clippers,” the Labor Department said in a news release Wednesday. CNN has reached out to Fayette Janitorial Services and STF for comment. To fulfill janitorial service contracts, the janitorial company employed at least 24 children between the ages of 13 and 17 to work overnight shifts cleaning dangerous equipment, the complaint says. According to the filing, the janitorial company employed 15 children, as young as 13-years-old, in Virginia and at least nine children in Iowa on its overnight sanitation shifts. On January 10, 2022, Fayette hired one minor “to work the overnight sanitation shift at the Perdue Facility, when he was 13 years old,” said the complaint.

Persons: “, Perdue, ”, Fayette, Seema Nanda, ” Nanda Organizations: CNN, U.S . Labor Department, Labor Department, Labor, Seaboard Triumph Foods, Perdue, “, Perdue Facility, Fair Labor Locations: Tennessee, Fayette, Sioux City , Iowa, Accomac , Virginia, Virginia, Iowa

☆ Feds open investigation into major American chicken companies over use of child labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There has been a dramatic increase in reports of child labor — and workplace accidents involving kids. Overall, the Department of Labor said it had seen a 69% increase in illegal child labor over the previous five years. On Saturday, Seema Nanda, the US solicitor of labor, said she is examining whether companies can be held liable for contractors' labor practices. "We are long past the day when brands can say that they don't know that they have child labor in their supply chain," Nanda told the Times. It has also begun a third-party audit of its child labor policies, the spokesperson said.

Persons: Seema Nanda, Nanda, Tyson Organizations: US Department of Labor, New York Times, Perdue, Service, The New York Times Magazine, Tyson Foods, Department of Labor, The Times, Times, Perdue Farms Locations: Wall, Silicon, Wisconsin, Mississippi

☆ Wisconsin sawmill has agreed to stop hiring children after a 16-year-old died on the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Wisconsin sawmill operator has agreed to stop hiring children after the death of a teenager. Michael Schuls, 16, died of "traumatic asphyxia" after an accident at Florence Hardwoods. The company also employed nine children, some as young as 14, "to illegally operate machinery," including saws for processing lumber. AdvertisementAdvertisement"While we did not knowingly or intentionally violate labor laws, we accept the findings and associated penalties," Florence Hardwoods said in a statement provided to Insider. In May, a pair of Wisconsin Republicans began circulating a bill that would allow 14-year-olds to serve alcohol; earlier, the state's Republican-led legislature legalized children working as late as 11 p.m.

Persons: Michael Schuls, Labor Julie Su, Schuls, Seema Nanda, —, Kim Reynolds, May, Reynolds, cdavis@insider.com Organizations: Labor, Service, US Department of Labor, Green Bay Press, Gazette, Sheriff's, Press - Gazette, Department of Labor, Wisconsin Republicans, Republican, Des Moines Register Locations: Wisconsin, Florence, Wall, Silicon, Mississippi, Iowa

☆ Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill rolling back child labor laws in response to business owner complaints over labor shortages. Iowa's unemployment rate was under 3% last month.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill rolling back child labor protections. The bill is one of many targeting child labor laws across the nation, signed largely by GOP governors. Businesses have increasingly reported labor shortages since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 1,127,000 Americans since 2020, according to the World Health Organization. The Iowa Governor's decision to roll back child labor laws is an apparent response to business owners who say they cannot find enough workers. Arkansas' unemployment rate was 2.8%, New Hampshire's was 2.1%, and New Jersey's was 3.5% — the only state that has recently rolled back child labor protections with a higher average than the nationwide 3.4% unemployment rate.

☆ Pennsylvania battery maker ordered to pay $22 million in back wages after DOL rules it denied thousands of workers overtime
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Pennsylvania battery maker was ordered to pay 7,500 workers $22 million in unpaid overtime. The DOL said East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc. didn't pay employees for their time spent preparing to work in hazardous conditions. During its investigation, the DOL found that East Penn employees were only being paid for their contracted 8-hour shifts. In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson for East Penn said the jury also found that East Penn did not act in a knowing or reckless disregard of the law. "East Penn appreciates the time and attention of the jurors over the course of this lengthy andcomplex trial.

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Business groups will almost certainly file lawsuits in an attempt to delay or derail a rule proposed by the Biden administration on Tuesday that would limit companies' use of independent contractors, experts said. Business groups will lobby for changes to the proposal before it is finalized in the coming months but ultimately will likely have to make their case in court that the rule is invalid, legal experts said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"There's going to be years of litigation over this," said Michael Lotito, a San Francisco-based lawyer who represents employers and business groups. Any lawsuit would likely seek to block the rule from taking effect while challenges make their way through appeals courts, which could take years. Individual businesses, workers and trade groups could also bring narrower legal challenges to the new rule.

Gig company stocks were hammered by the news, with Uber (UBER.N), Lyft (LYFT.O) and DoorDash (DASH.N) all falling at least 10%. The proposal would require that workers be considered employees, entitled to more benefits and legal protections than contractors, when they are "economically dependent" on a company. Millions of Americans are working "gig" jobs and this labor has become vital to some transportation, restaurant, construction, health care and other industries. "Misclassification deprives workers of their federal labor protections, including their right to be paid their full, legally earned wages," Walsh said. Seth Harris, President Joe Biden's former top labor adviser, said the rule will not directly impact how courts determine whether workers are employees or independent contractors.

Gig company stocks were hammered on the news, with Uber (UBER.N), Lyft (LYFT.O) and DoorDash (DASH.N) all falling at least 10%. Employees can cost companies up to 30% more than independent contractors, studies suggest. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in a statement said businesses often misclassify vulnerable workers as independent contractors. Those groups have said that any broad rule would hurt workers who want to remain independent and have flexibility. Worker advocacy groups have said that companies are increasingly misclassifying employees as independent contractors, depriving workers of fair pay and benefits to pad their profits.

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