Tennessee company fined nearly $650K for illegally hiring minors to clean slaughterhouses
Source: USA Today
Published 10:53 p.m. ET May 6, 2024
A Tennessee-based cleaning company has agreed to pay nearly $650,000 in civil penalties after federal investigators found the company employed at least 24 children at two slaughtering and meat packing facilities, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday.
A federal court in Iowa approved a consent order and judgment Monday with Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, which requires the company to pay $649,304 in civil penalties, the Labor Department said in a news release. The company must also hire a third-party to implement company policies to prevent the illegal employment of children and create a program for reporting concerns about child labor violations.
The Labor Department obtained a preliminary injunction against Fayette Janitorial in late February after an investigation discovered that the company employed at least 24 children, including children as young as 13 years old, on overnight sanitation shifts at two slaughtering and meat packing facilities in Sioux City, Iowa, and Accomac, Virginia.
Under U.S. law, children under the age 18 are prohibited from being employed in dangerous occupations such as meat and poultry slaughtering, processing, rendering and packing operations. According to the Labor Department, Fayette Janitorial had minors "clean dangerous kill floor equipment such as head splitters, jaw pullers, meat bandsaws, and neck clippers."
'We'll Be Back,' Says UAW Chief Shawn Fain After 'Tough Loss' in Alabama by Jessica Corbett
May 7, 2024
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) Workers at a pair of Mercedes-Benz plants near Tuscaloosa, Alabama narrowly voted against joining the United Auto Workers this week, according to a preliminary tally on Friday.
As of press time, the UAW webpage had the National Labor Relations Board tally at 2,045 in favor of joining the union (45%) and 2,642 opposed (56%).
Voting at the large facility in Vance and the battery plant in Woodstock kicked off Monday and wrapped up Friday morning. Speaking to reporters Friday evening, UAW president Shawn Fain said that it was "obviously not the result we wanted" but "we'll be back in Vance."
"These courageous workers reached out to us because they wanted justice," Fain said of the Mercedes employees. "They led us. They led this fight, and that's what this is all about—and what happens next is up to them."
"Justice isn't just about one vote or one campaign, it's about getting a voice and getting your fair share," he continued, noting that "workers won serious gains in this campaign."
Retired New York City Teachers Rise and Run by Jenny Brown
May 20, 2024
Introduction:
(Labor Notes) They’ve really stepped in it. The incumbent Unity Caucus that runs the huge teachers union in New York City is facing a challenge from the Retiree Advocate slate who hope to take leadership of the powerful 70,000-person retiree chapter within the union. Ballots were mailed May 10 and will be counted June 14.
The rallying issue has been the United Federation of Teachers’ collusion with the city to put municipal retirees, including retired teachers, into a for-profit Medicare Advantage plan run by Aetna. The plan would replace their traditional Medicare, which is provided premium-free along with a cost-free wraparound.
Leaders of the UFT and AFSCME’s District Council 37, who dominate the city’s Municipal Labor Committee, tried to railroad the plan through in 2021, crushing objections from 26 smaller unions in the 102-union bargaining bloc. They hoped to fill a $600 million funding gap, but the plan went awry when retirees exposed it.
The fight has mobilized retirees across the city, from firefighters to sanitation workers to teachers. Courts and the city council have refused to approve the change, and for three years the city has appealed court decisions, with the support of the dominant MLC unions. The plan has not been implemented, and appeals continue.
RUBBER STAMP?
In the teachers union, these events have caused a sea change. Retirees are full UFT members and can vote in leadership elections. In the past, their substantial vote went to incumbents. “Retired teachers are used as a reliable rubber stamp for Unity Caucus,” said Bennett Fischer, who is running for Chapter Leader of the Retired Teacher Chapter. “Now they have a big worry on their minds.”
Accusing Mercedes of 'Wanton Lawlessness,' UAW Seeks New Alabama Vote by Jessica Corbett
May 24, 2024
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) The United Auto Workers on Friday formally challenged last week's election loss at a pair of Mercedes-Benz facilities in Alabama, accusing the company of engaging in "an unprecedented, illegal anti-union campaign" and requesting a new vote.
"All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions," the UAW said in a statement. "And that's what we're asking for here. Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide."
Of the more than 5,000 employees at the two Mercedes-Benz United States International (MBUSI) plants, 2,045 (45%) voted to join the UAW and 2,642 (56%) voted against it. After the ballots were counted, union president Shawn Fain said that it was "obviously not the result we wanted" but "we'll be back."
The UAW complaint to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accusing MBUSI of "wanton lawlessness" echoes the union and workers' previous allegations that the company engaged in illegal union-busting at the Vance and Woodstock facilities, which led to ongoing reviews from U.S. and German authorities.
On January 11, 2024, employees of MBUSI publicly announced that they were exploring forming a union with the UAW at MBUSI's facilities," says the new complaint, according to Alabama Reflector. "Almost immediately thereafter, both prior to and during the election period, the employer engaged in a relentless anti-union campaign marked with unlawful discipline, unlawful captive audience meetings, and a general goal of coercing and intimidating employees who were attempting to exercise their Section 7 rights."
