WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Peter Welch (D-VT), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, will introduce the bicameral Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act, legislation aimed at holding corporations accountable for the exploitation of children and workers in the food industry. The bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from engaging in contracts with companies that have committed egregious labor law violations and/or contracted with vendors that have incurred, and failed to rectify, serious worker or labor infractions. U.S. Representative Greg Casar (D-TX) will introduce the companion bill in the House.

Specifically, the Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act would:

1. Require companies competing for contracts with Department of Agriculture to disclose labor and worker safety infractions by the company itself as well as by any of their contractors in the preceding three years
2. Empower the Secretary of Labor to determine corrective measures for a company and/or their contractors to remain eligible for the USDA contracts
3. Require the Secretary of Labor to prepare a list of companies that are ineligible for USDA contracts for that year based on serious, repeated, or pervasive violations of labor laws, and
4. Establish transparency measures to ensure USDA and DOL compliance

“We must hold companies accountable if they violate labor laws and exploit workers, including vulnerable children,” said Senator Booker. “Companies...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFodHRwczovL3d3dy5ib29rZXIuc2VuYXRl...