USDA Urges Meat Firms: Don't Use Child Labor

The Biden administration is urging US meat processors to make sure children aren’t being illegally hired to perform dangerous jobs at their plants, Josh Funk reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers.

The call comes after an investigation found more than 100 kids working overnight for a company that cleans slaughterhouses, handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers.

The letter is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on the use of child labor. The Labor Department has reported a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally in the US.

“The use of illegal child labor — particularly requiring that children undertake dangerous tasks — is inexcusable, and companies must consider both their legal and moral responsibilities to ensure they and their suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors fully comply with child labor laws,” Vilsack said in the letter.

Just last year, the Labor Department found that more than 3,800 children had been working illegally at 835 companies in various industries.

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