The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has filed a 16-page complaint in state court for the Minnesota Fifth Judicial District. About Temporary Restraining Orders and Injunctions To Tony Downs Food Company, a meat and poultry processor.
The state wants to stop companies from illegally employing children in dangerous occupations while the DLI continues to investigate the companies’ labor practices.
More than a dozen meat processing plants have been caught using child labor since late 2022, with some doing dangerous night shifts affecting food safety to use cleaning equipment. There are also things.
Mankato-based Tony Downs Food Company manufactures packaged meats in Maderia, Minnesota.
Children under the age of 18 are not permitted in Minnesota to engage in work that is dangerous or harmful to minors.
The state labor department found at least eight children between the ages of 14 and 17 working at the Tony Downs factory in Maderia. We also identified additional employees who were hired to work for the company when they were under the age of 18. One of these employees, she was only thirteen when he was hired, worked for the company during night shifts that lasted until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. Doing dangerous work such as operating
Child workers also work at low temperatures, where carbon dioxide and ammonia are used to flash freeze meat products, according to the Department of Labor. According to the company’s injury reports, children were injured while working in these dangerous occupations.
In response to a complaint filed with the Department of Labor regarding the company’s practices of employing minors, DLI investigators ordered a nighttime inspection of Tony Downs Food Company from January 26, 2023 through the early hours of January 27, 2023. conducted an on-site survey. DLI was interviewed. Workers spoke in Spanish, documented their working conditions, and requested records from the company. DLI has also contacted local school districts for additional information.
After an on-site inspection, the company created DLI records through February 2023. The records included employee photos and contact information, employee schedules, and employee timecards. DLI initiated a thorough search of company documents and information provided by the school, comparing data to identify employees under the age of 18.
“The existence of child labor laws ensures that when children are employed, they are carried out in a safe environment and promote the economic, social and educational development of the youngest workers,” said the DLI Commissioner. Nicole Brissenbach said.
“When child labor laws are violated, the best interests of children are sidelined in favor of those of their employers. The consequences of child labor violations directly endanger their safety and health. to the lifelong consequences associated with impaired access to education. We are strategically concentrating our efforts to initiate investigations in the industries most likely to occur.”
The DLI has a variety of enforcement tools at its disposal, including injunctions, penalties, and referrals to offenders for good cause.
“The DLI is grateful to the representatives of the Office of the Attorney General,” said Blissenbach. “Having a dedicated and skilled representative allows us to turn complex investigations into action and hold these employers accountable.”
“The DLI’s allegations of child labor on this site are appalling. I applaud their investigation and am proud to represent them in bringing this case to court,” Keith Ellison Justice “Child labor, especially in hazardous industries, especially when employers exploit children and families in vulnerable communities, is a very serious social and economic disease that affects all communities.” Solving this problem will require cooperation from all levels of government and pressure from industry and public opinion.”
The Minnesota Child Labor Standards Act prohibits employers from hiring minors in hazardous occupations. Employers also restrict minors under the age of 16 from working more than 8 hours a day after 9:00 p.m. or more than 40 hours a week.
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