• Contact Us
  • Login
Subscribe
LittleAfrica News
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.
No Result
View All Result
LittleAfrica News
No Result
View All Result
Home U.S.

Packers Sanitation Services Inc. Illegally Employing Minors

LittleAfrica Staff Writer by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
February 19, 2023
in U.S.
74
SHARES
972
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Packers Sanitation Services Inc (PSSI), one of the largest food sanitation companies in the United States, was found to be illegally employing minors in some of its slaughterhouses by the Department of Labor (DOL). 102 children between the ages of 13 and 17 were found to be working in dangerous environments cleaning sharp meat-cutting equipment while using dangerous chemicals. In the investigation held by the DOL, they found that the minors would work night shifts starting at 11 pm to 5 am for five to six days a week in a period spanning months. The working minors would struggle at school due to staying awake the whole night. In some instances, the children would miss school due to injuries suffered at work.

$1.5 Million Fine

PSSI had a civil case launched against it by the DOL, with the DOL succeeding in holding the company responsible for their actions. PSSI will be liable to pay a $1.5 million fine for illegally employing minors. 

“The child labor violations, in this case, were systemic and reached across eight states, and clearly indicate a corporate-wide failure by Packers Sanitation Services at all levels,” said Jessica Looman, the DOL’s principal deputy administrator of the wage and hour division.

“These children should never have been employed in meat packing plants and this can only happen when employers do not take responsibility to prevent child labor violations from occurring in the first place.”

PSSI accepted the court’s verdict and released its own statement. “We are pleased to have finalized this settlement figure as part of our previously announced December resolution with the Department of Labor (DOL) that ends their inquiry. We have been crystal clear from the start: Our company has a zero-tolerance policy against employing anyone under the age of 18 and fully shares the DOL’s objective of ensuring full compliance at all locations,” the statement from PSSI said.

The statement continued, “We are fully committed to working with DOL to make additional improvements to enforce our prohibition of employing anyone under the age of 18.”

Child Labor

The DOL discovered that the children were employed by PSSI in the following states – Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas. 

The DOL’s investigation discovered that the PSSI’s systems showed that minors were getting hired but the company willingly ignored this. According to a DOL representative, when the department tried to investigate the matter, it faced resistance from the PSSI representatives who had recruited the minors. The DOL maintains the stance that these representatives from the company intentionally played a hand in hindering the investigation. 

Possible Human Trafficking

According to reports from NBC News, lawyers and advocates for the children have alleged some of the minors that had been working in PSSI facilities were unaccompanied migrants who had arrived in the United States from across the southern borders. The Department of Homeland Security has been looking at whether any of the minors were victims of human trafficking. The Department has said they were not directly investigating PSSI. 

“It is vital that the federal government not only investigate the violations committed by this private company but in addition that it provides protections for the children who may have been victimized by this country. In particular, both the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor should apply policies they have recently announced to ensure these children are not deported from the country into unsafe circumstances, that they receive legal protection to be able to remain in this country and have a stable, safe environment,” said Gregory Chen, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

 

Related

Tags: Department of LaborHuman TrafficingLittleAfrica NewsMinorsPackers Sanitation Services IncUnited States
Previous Post

Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba Dismissed from Parliament Due to Period Stain

Next Post

Justice Hector LaSalle Faces Final Rejection At State Senate Vote

LittleAfrica Staff Writer

LittleAfrica Staff Writer

Related Posts

Six Killed in Covenant School Shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, Including Shooter Audrey Hale
U.S.

Six Killed in Covenant School Shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, Including Shooter Audrey Hale

by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
March 28, 2023
946
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Signs Law Restricting Transgender Bathroom Use
U.S.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Signs Law Restricting Transgender Bathroom Use

by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
March 22, 2023
902
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Travels to Ethiopia
U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Travels to Ethiopia

by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
March 21, 2023
143
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Collapses, Creates Panic
U.S.

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Collapses, Creates Panic

by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
March 14, 2023
469
Biden Administration To Tackle Migrant Children Exploitation
U.S.

Biden Administration To Tackle Migrant Children Exploitation

by LittleAfrica Staff Writer
March 2, 2023
310
Next Post

Justice Hector LaSalle Faces Final Rejection At State Senate Vote

Translate

en English
sw Swahiliyo Yorubazu Zuluso Somalisu Sudanesesn Shonaht Haitian Creolefr Frenchpt Portuguesenl Dutchen Englishes Spanishde Germanru Russianar Arabicaf Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicbn Bengalizh-CN Chinese (Simplified)da Danishtl Filipinofi Finnishel Greekha Hausaiw Hebrewhi Hindiis Icelandicig Igboit Italianja Japaneseko Koreanlb Luxembourgishms Malaymi Maorino Norwegianfa Persiansv Swedishtr Turkish
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 14-February 20, 2023
Metro

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 14-February 20, 2023

Local, National, and International News for the Diaspora LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 14 — February 20, 2023

February 14, 2023
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 7-February 13, 2023
Metro

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 7-February 13, 2023

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : February 7 — February 13, 2023

February 6, 2023
Newspaper Digital Editions
Metro

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : January 31-February 6

Local, National, and International News for the Diaspora LittleAfrica News Newspaper : January 31 — February6, 2023

January 30, 2023
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 7-March 13
Print Newspaper Edition

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 7-March 13

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 7 — March 13, 2023

March 6, 2023
LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 14-March 20
Print Newspaper Edition

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 14-March 20

LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 14 — March 20, 2023

March 13, 2023

Local, National, and International News for the Diaspora

BOMESI - Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute

Recent Posts

  • Mayor Eric Adams Signs Executive Order Changing and Streamlining Leadership Structure
  • Officials Warn of Flesh-Eating Drug in New York City
  • NYC Still Dealing With High Number of Teenage Violence Incidents
  • Vice President Kamala Harris Embarks on First Official Visit to Africa
  • New York City Comptroller Brad Lander Accused Of Exploiting City’s Migrant Crisis to Raise Campaign Funds

Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
    • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Editions
  • Education
  • Metro
  • Africa
  • Caribbean
  • U.S.

© 2022 LittleAfrica News. A Project of Social Impact Strategies. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • LittleAfrica News Newspaper : March 1 – March 15
  • LittleAfrica News Newspaper Print Edition : February 16 – February 28
  • Mona Davids, Founder and Publisher
  • Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids, Director of Communications and Editor-in-Chief
  • Newspaper Digital Editions
  • Pricing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2022 LittleAfrica News. A Project of Social Impact Strategies. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?