Politicians in Iowa want to roll back child labor laws. What we need to do instead is treat workers with more dignity.
The possibility of bringing back child labor should be out of the question. But in Iowa, it is now a real threat.
Iowa is considering loosening laws on child labor to combat the shortage of workers. The bill has already moved out of a subcommittee and continues to make its way through the state legislative process.
It is one problem that the state is considering loosening these laws. It is another problem that this is our solution to a worker shortage. The state should not be willing to put children in danger in lieu of improving conditions for workers.
The bill would include changes such as allowing 14-year-olds to work in freezers and meat coolers, laundry, and corn detasseling.
There is no doubt that labor is harmful to children. According to the National Library of Medicine, child labor “prevents the normal well-being including physical, intellectual, and emotional psychosocial development of children.”
Lawmakers argued that letting children work in these dangerous conditions will give them a chance to learn life lessons. While this bill is really about boosting the economy without having to treat workers better, a child does not have to do manual labor to learn important life lessons.
While supporters of the bill argue joining the workforce will give children experience that will prepare them for future careers, experts say the jobs offer skills that...
Foley partner Lisa Noller, Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, will be speaking at the American Bar Association’s Qui Tam & Civil False Claims and Healthcare Fraud Institute in Washingt...