News @lemmy.world Lee Duna @lemmy.nz 7 mo. ago

L.A. poultry firm hired kids as young as 14 to work with sharp knives, Labor Dept. says

www.cnbc.com L.A. poultry firm hired kids as young as 14 to work with sharp knives, Labor Dept. says

Workers allegedly told investigators that minors who worked at the company were hidden in closets and bathrooms when investigators arrived.

17 comments

Seems the meat industry just loves child labor. And what our government doing about it? Oh stupid question fines that are less then the profit from breaking child labor laws.

This will not stop but only get worse.
- Fines? No. They're legalizing it.
- Industry loves child labor or really anyone that is easier to control and exploit because it is cheaper leading to increased profits, assuming it doesn't result in excessive fines.
if you can work at 14, you should be able to vote too
- The crazy thing is at 18, you're old enough to vote but not old enough to drink.
  
  Is there a historical reason for 21 in the US ? It's such an odd age compared to most other countries
At least sharp knives are safer than dull ones
Child labor is fucked up, but using knives at that age is no big deal. I played with knives when I was about 5 years old and knew enough not to hurt myself with it. Got my first Swiss Army knife about age 7 I think.
- It's not just 'using a knife', though. These are children put to work with knives under pressure to perform what should be adult responsibilities for the duration of their shift. Responsible adults get hurt in these situations. I've worked in kitchens, I know. Especially if management has created an unsafe environment where injuries are bound to occur. Like the kind of management that is willing to put a child to work.
- Yeah this is a weird headline. A 14 year old is a freshman in highschool. They should have no problem handling a knife and it would concern me if they had not.
Glad they weren't dull, that's unsafe
I worked part-time after school in a kitchen when I was 14. There were plenty of sharp knives.
Really? The knives are what made the headline?
I'm not sure I understand why "sharp knives" is even in the headline. It seems irrelevant. They were hiring underage children and hiding them from investigators, among a bunch of other violations. My 13 year-old daughter has been using sharp knives in the kitchen for years. But I don't keep her home from school and make her work 6 days a week for sub-minimum-wage.
I had a job when I was 15. I don't see the issue here.
- Maybe you would if you spent more time in school.

You've viewed 17 comments.