Essays
Essay
Bill HF5241 - BILL FOR AN ACT AT “THESE SITES”.
Why should legal legislators support my bill on banning child labor at “cleaning agencies, meat production, meat cleaning, construction, factories and meat production”.
All legislators should vote yes on bill HF5241 banning child labor at cleaning agencies, meat production, meat cleaning, construction, factories and meat production. There was a federal law passed almost 100 years ago that prohibits the employment of minors in nonagricultural occupations under the age of 14, restricts the hours and types of work that can be performed by minors under 16, and prohibits the employment of minors under the age of 18 in any hazardous occupation. This law was passed because child labor and exploitation was normal and these kids would end up with life time injuries and even death. From the late 1700s to early 1800s, young kids would work in factories and coal mines which were toxic because there wasn't enough financial support their parents had for their children and even for themselves. Children were forced by the life circumstances they were born into to work at such a young age and the owners didn't care. In fact it was beneficial for them because they found a new source with no voice, no rights, no strength, and no say to fight against their policies.
This was a hundred years ago, we are in 2024 now, yet the system has failed the children, especially immigrant children in Minnesota, and we’re seeing the same struggling people now just like back then. In recent years, big company owners seem to have forgotten these laws. Jordan Barb, deputy assistant secretary at the occupational safety and health administration has said “In many of these cases, it’s the children of recent migrants working long hours in difficult conditions”. The famous fast food restaurant Mcdonalds has had 16 locations in Louisiana and texas, “ children as young as 14 operated dangerous equipment and worked long and late hours”. If you think this is absurd, investigation showed “two 10-year-olds working without pay until as late as 2 a.m., preparing and serving meals, working the drive-thru and cash register and cleaning the restaurants, according to a DOL release.” Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett-Civils said “Under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and deep fryers”.
This situation isn't only in the United States, in fact it's even worse in all the other countries. Kids outside of the americas don't have a say, they are shut off and aren't forced to go to school, which is why so many people immigrate to other countries for a better education, better job opportunities and because they have rights by simply being a human being. Hannah Dreier, went to 20 states including Minnesota and spoke to more than 100 migrant child workers. Cristian, a 14 year migrant works construction instead of going to school. A 13 year old wanders around looking for work before sunrise.
This is America, these are the real problems we are facing on a daily basis. We see kids from migrant families suffering more than kids who were born here. As of right now there are several states who are pushing to loosen child labor. As of June 9 2021 there were 160 million cases of child labor, not counting all the other kids who weren't counted for.
At least 10 states have introduced or passed bills in the past two years meant to weaken protections against employing children, so I as a minor want to advocate for this ongoing issue because yes, states are weakening the law of childlabor and this affects the children's learning,physical health and mental health. “A 14-year-old boy who cleaned meat cutting machines" was “falling asleep in class and missing class as a result and suffering injuries from chemical burns” in Nebraska from 2021 to 2022,” said New York CNN.
With all this evidence I call for a change of rights for children and demand discipline and consequences for the companies who are ignoring this law. All legislators in Minnesota should vote yes on Bill HF5241 to ban children cleaning companies, meat cleaning and meat production” because kids who are 14 and younger should not be working in these harsh work conditions. While we can’t change what is happening in other parts of the U.S. we can change what is happening right here in Minnesota. In Minnesota kids should be studying and getting the right sleep and the correct development for their body and health and they should be going to school and getting a good education. Kids should not have to work because of the vulnerable system we have. Kids deserve the right to be kids.
Sources:
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods-print
- https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/30/economy/child-labor-louisiana-texas/index.html
- https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/history-of-child-labor-in-the-united-states-part-2-the-reform-movement.htm#:~:text=It%20was%20not%20until%201938,be%20upheld%20by%20the%20Court.
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html
- https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/child-welfarechild-labor/national-child-labor-committee/#:~:text=In%20the%20late%201700′s,to%20run%20their%20machines%20—%20children.