Dozens of children were employed in dangerous roles at meat packing plants in Nebraska and Minnesota.
At least 31 children have worked for Packer's Sanitation Services Inc. in "oppressive child labor" according to the agency. They ranged in age from 13 to 17 and were responsible for cleaning hazardous equipment.
According to the Labor Department, Packer's violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by employing the minor workers.
“The Labor Department also alleged that PSSI violated the law by “intimidating minor workers to stop them from cooperating with investigators."”
The agency wants a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the company from hiring children.
The Labor Department said in a press release that several minor employees suffered caustic chemical burns.
PSSI was not reachable for comment on Saturday.
PSSI was accused of violating the law by intimidating minor workers to stop them from cooperating with investigators. The company manipulated and deleted employment files.
In August, officials received a referral from local law enforcement about possible child labor violations at a plant in Nebraska. Kids are accused of cleaning the facility during graveyard shifts.
According to the court filing, investigators witnessed multiple workers entering the facility in Grand Island, Nebraska, during the PSSI overnight cleaning shift who appeared to be under the age of 18.
According to officials, they subpoenaed school records from local middle and high schools and found that three teens had worked for PSSI at the Grand Island facility, including one who suffered a chemical burn.
The meatpacking and warehousing industries are offered cleaning and Sanitation Services by PSSI. It is common for large companies to contract out work to other companies so that the workers are technically employed by other companies.
The firm claims to be your partner in waste reduction.
PSSI hired union-avoidance consultants to stop employees from joining a union.
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