Court Enters Judgment Against Sanitation Contractor in Child Labor Case

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), a federal court in Nebraska last week entered a consent order and judgment in which Wisconsin-based Packers Sanitation Services Inc. LTD (PSSI)—one of the nation’s largest providers of food safety sanitation services—agreed to immediately comply with child labor laws at all facilities nationwide and to take significant steps to ensure future compliance, including employing an outside compliance specialist.

CMM’s website originally reported in November that a federal court had issued a nationwide temporary restraining order and injunction against PSSI to stop the company from illegally employing dozens of minor-aged workers—some as young as 13 years old—in hazardous occupations.

DOL investigators initially found that 31 children were cleaning dangerous powered equipment to fulfill sanitation contracts during overnight shifts at JBS USA plants in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Worthington, Minnesota, and at Turkey Valley Farms in Marshall, Minnesota. Since the issuance of the temporary restraining order, the number of minor children verified by the department to be employed by PSSI is now at least 50 across two additional locations with different processors, including George’s Inc. and Greater Omaha Packing Co. The department is still investigating PSSI and stated that this number might increase as the investigation continues.

“The Wage and Hour Division will complete its investigation and ensure children are not working in violation of federal laws at this company or at others,” said Michael Lazzeri, wage and hour regional administrator in Chicago. “Across the nation, we’ve seen child labor violations increase 50 percent since 2018. There are restrictions on the types of jobs young workers under 17 can do, and on the number of hours and times 14 and 15-year-olds can work. This case should serve as a stark reminder for all employers that the U.S. Department of Labor will not tolerate violations of the law, especially those that put vulnerable children at risk.”

According to Fox News, Gina Swenson, vice president of marketing at PSSI, said the company already follows government recommendations on verifying workers’ ages, but it would take additional steps to ensure compliance and address DOL concerns. “We have been crystal clear from the start: PSSI has a zero-tolerance policy against employing anyone under the age of 18 and fully shares DOL’s objective of ensuring it is followed to the letter at all local plants,” Swenson told Fox.