A food sanitation contractor illegally employed more than 100 children in hazardous jobs.
The US Department of Labor (DOL) on Feb. 17 fined Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) $1.5 million for unlawfully employing child labor to use caustic chemicals to clean razor-sharp saws as well as handle other high-risk equipment, often during graveyard shifts.
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The probe—which began last August following a tip from law enforcement—and the subsequent penalties “compelled this employer to change their hiring practices to ensure compliance with the law,” solicitor of labor Seema Nanda said in a statement.
“Let this case be a powerful reminder that all workers in the United States are entitled to the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act and that an employer who violates wage laws will be held accountable,” Nanda added.
The Blackstone-owned company provides cleaning services under contract to some of the nation’s largest meat and poultry producers, serving over 725 food processing plants. It employs 16,500 skilled food sanitors, microbiologists, technical experts, engineers, and safety specialists in total. It claims to have a “zero-tolerance policy” against employing minors, and relies on the mandatory use of the government’s E-verify system for new hires, extensive training, multiple audits, and biometrics, to ensure adherence.
At least 102: Children aged between 13 and 17 employed “...
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