Industrial laundries. Freezers and meat coolers. Roofing. These are some of the most hazardous workplaces in the country, featuring extreme heat and cold, heavy machinery, slippery surfaces, heights. They pose dangers to the most seasoned and careful workers.
These are not places where children (under 18)* should be working; and yet some states are starting to dismantle their protections for children at work, weakening laws around sectors, hours, and tasks.
And the consequences will be deadly. Just this summer, three teenagers died in accidents at a poultry plant in Mississippi, a sawmill in Wisconsin, and a landfill in Missouri.
The likelihood of children dying in dangerous jobs did not deter states from rolling back restrictions on child labor in the past two years. Iowa passed a law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work up to six hours a day when schools are in session, to as late as 9 p.m. (during school vacations, as late as 11 p.m.); it also removes prohibitions against minors working in industrial laundries, demolition, and in freezers and meat coolers. Arkansas eliminated work permits for 14- and 15-year-olds. New Jersey and New Hampshire extended work hours. Several other states are considering making similar changes.
We added this (terrible) data point to this year’s Best State to Work Index (BSWI) in order to train a spotlight on new efforts to undermine labor standards, enlarge the low-wage workforce, and take advantage of working families.
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