A short lived injunction was granted within the U.S. District Court docket of Nebraska on Thursday after the U.S. Division of Labor filed a grievance towards Packers Sanitation Companies Inc. (PSSI) for illegally using dozens of minor-aged staff.
The grievance was prompted after an investigation by the division’s Wage and Hour Division found PSSI had employed a minimum of 31 kids – from 13 to 17 years of age – in hazardous occupations. The roles carried out by kids included cleansing harmful powered tools throughout in a single day shifts to meet sanitation contracts at JBS USA crops in Grand Island, Nebraska and Worthington, Minnesota, and at Turkey Valley Farms in Marshall, Minnesota.
Investigators additionally realized that a number of minors employed by PSSI – together with one 13-years-old – suffered caustic chemical burns and different accidents.
In its submitting, the division alleges the meals sanitation contractor interfered with an investigation by intimidating minor staff to cease them from cooperating with investigators. PSSI additionally allegedly deleted and manipulated employment recordsdata.
“The Division of Labor will use each obtainable authorized useful resource to guard staff – no matter their age – and maintain to account these employers who mistakenly imagine they’ll violate the Truthful Labor Requirements Act, impede federal investigations, and retaliate towards staff who assert their rights,” mentioned Regional Solicitor of Labor Christine Heri.
The investigation at PSSI started on Aug. 24, 2022, when the division obtained credible info alleging the corporate assigned minors to work in hazardous occupation. The division executed warrants for the corporate’s operations on the three crops, its native workplaces and at PSSI’s Keiler, Wisconsin, company workplace.Â
Home Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott mentioned violating the Truthful Labor Requirements Act by using minors is rarely acceptable.
“It’s a disgrace when this happens in any trade, and I’m significantly upset to see it occurring in our beloved agriculture trade,” he mentioned. “I’m glad the Division of Labor acted on the referrals from regulation enforcement officers and uncovered the actions that had been endangering kids. This example should dealt with with acceptable accountability and measures have to be taken to forestall such violations from occurring sooner or later. And, as chairman of our Home Agriculture Committee, that is what I’m working to ensure occurs.”
PSSI offers contract sanitation companies, chemical improvements, pest prevention and different options for about 700 meals processing amenities nationwide and employs about 17,000 staff.
