US: Monogram Foods Fined for Child Labor

The meat company Monogram Foods, based in the US, was fined more than $30,000 for violating Minnesota’s laws against child labor at one of its plants.

The infraction happened at Monogram Meat Snacks, a division of the meat group that makes meat snacks, appetizers, sandwiches, and baked goods.

In Chandler, Minnesota, where Monogram Meat Snacks is located, the US Department of Labour launched an investigation in March. The study revealed that the business had violated federal laws against child labor by using at least two 16- and 17-year-olds to operate machinery to process meat.

The Department of Labour and the Biden-Harris administration view child labor as a scourge in this country and will not tolerate violations of child labor laws, according to labor solicitor Seema Nanda.

Jessica Looman, principal deputy wage and hour administrator, continued, “Monogram should never have permitted two children to operate hazardous machinery. Monogram Meat Snacks and its parent company have agreed to take significant steps to prevent further violations of the law involving child labor as a result of our initial investigation. Employers are legally obligated to provide management, hiring specialists, and front-line supervisors with training so they can identify potential child labor violations and take the necessary steps to ensure they are not illegally employing children or other young people.”

In a statement, Monogram Foods stated: “Our company has a zero-tolerance policy for unqualified underage labor, and we have fully complied with this process. We take our responsibilities under the law and our longstanding commitment to compliance very seriously, so we fired the two ineligible employees who appeared to have lied about their identity or age during the hiring process right away. To prevent this from happening in the future, we have voluntarily made significant and immediate company-wide changes to our current policies and procedures. We work hard to uphold our high standards of safety, compliance, trust, and integrity daily, the company said, and to be a valued partner in our communities.“

Another meat company was found to have connections to child labor earlier this year.

After receiving a $1.5 million fine for using child labor, Packers Sanitation Services Inc (PSSI), a cleaning company, had contracts with JBS, a Brazilian meat giant, in April.

During an investigation by the US Department of Labour, it was found that PSSI, which cleaned the JBS USA meat plants, was illegally hiring more than 100 children.

After a supplier received a fine for using child labor, JBS later established its cleaning operation in the US.