65 Organizations Co-Sign HEAL Letter of Support For the Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act

On September 17, 2024 the HEAL Food Alliance sent the following letter to Senate and House ranking members of the Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee and the Committee on Agriculture urging them to support the Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act (S.1288/ H.R.2822) and include its provisions in the next farm bill. 

Download the letter


 

Dear Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Boozman, Chairman Thompson, and Ranking Member Scott:

HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance and the 65 undersigned representing farmers and ranchers, farm and food chain workers, Indigenous groups, scientists, public health advocates, animal welfare organizations, policy experts, community organizers, and activists urge you to support the Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act (S.1288/ H.R.2822) and include its provisions in the next farm bill.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), there has been a 69 percent increase in the illegal employment of children by companies across the United States. Recently, at least two dozen children (minors under 18 years old) were illegally hired to clean meat processing facilities by a Tennessee-based sanitation company. (1) These children worked with hazardous materials around dangerous equipment, undertaking tasks beyond their capabilities. Underscoring this are troubling reports of the fatal mangling of a 16-year-old at a poultry plant (2) and the death of another 16-year-old at a sawmill (3). Over 800 cases have been investigated finding more than 3,800 illegal child workers. (4)

In a letter to the Meat and Poultry Industry (5), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested precautionary steps be taken to reduce systemic violations and adopt standards for all across the food supply chain to guard against the use of illegal child labor.

The Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act, introduced by Representative Casar (D-TX) and Senator Booker (D-NJ) takes a step further to hold corporations accountable for illegal child labor in the food industry. The bill will keep federal funding from the hands of those who have committed egregious labor law violations. The Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act:

  • Requires corporations and their associated contractors to disclose labor and worker safety violations,
  • Allows DOL to take corrective measures for companies to be able to remain eligible for federal contracts with USDA,
  • Improves transparency by reporting a list of companies ineligible for USDA contracts based on repeated or pervasive violations, among other measures.

We support holding bad actors accountable, especially those who exploit children and workers in general. Food companies and those they contract with should not benefit from federal contracts while breaking U.S. laws. Oftentimes bad actors who employ child labor also put other workers at risk with unsafe and abusive working conditions and practices. The Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act and the accountability measures proposed send a strong, clear message that illegal child labor will not be tolerated, and ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund these illegal and unjust practices.

We call on your leadership and your committee to support the Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act and urge you to act to protect children from exploitative labor practices that put their well-being at risk by holding corporations accountable. We also strongly recommend that the accountability measures laid out in this bill be codified into the next farm bill, and look forward to working with you and your committee to prioritize this important issue.

Sincerely,

Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project 

Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network/ La Cosecha 

Agricultural Justice Project 

Alianza Nacional de Campesinas 

American Indian Mothers Inc 

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Legal Defense Fund 

Appetite For Change 

Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment 

Center for Science in the Public Interest 

Community Food Advocates 

Cultivate Charlottesville 

Dakota Rural Action 

Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network 

Ethical And Respectful Treatment of Humans (EARTH) 

Farm Sanctuary 

Farmworker Association of Florida 

Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) 

Foodwise 

Friends of the Earth U.S. 

GC Resolve 

Georgia Organics 

Green New Deal Network 

HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance 

Health Care Without Harm 

Illinois Stewardship Alliance 

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 

JustServe LCC

La Semilla Food Center 

Land Loss Prevention Project 

Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc. 

Latinx Farmworkers of Southern Idaho 

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association 

Midwest Farmers of Color Collective 

Minnow 

National Farm to School Network 

National Farm Worker Ministry 

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 

NOFA/Mass 

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH)

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) Not Our Farm 

OMI Cultural Participation Project 

Organic Farming Research Foundation 

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture 

Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network 

Pesticide Action Network 

Polo’s Pantry 

Public Justice Center 

Rural Advancement Foundation International 

Rural Coalition 

San Diego Food System Alliance 

Slow Food USA 

Soul Fire Farm 

Springfield Food Policy Council 

Sprout 

Striving to Serve Others 

The National Black Food & Justice Alliance 

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) The Round Group 

Toxic Free NC 

Union of Concerned Scientists 

Until Justice Data Partners 

Wallace Center at Winrock International 

Wellness in the Schools


1 Fingerhut, H. A US company is accused of illegally hiring children to clean meat processing plants. Associated Press. February 22, 2024
2 Johnson Rodrigue, C. Officials open investigation into workplace death of Hattiesburg teen at Mar-Jac Poultry factory. Associated Press. July 19, 2023 
https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-poultry-plant-teen-death-investigation-4938901018f65ca2c095d8fc b44024df
3 Federal agency wants to fine Wisconsin sawmill $1.4 million for violations found after teen’s death. Associated Press. December 10, 2023. 
https://apnews.com/article/osha-fine-wisconsin-sawmill-investigation-de59dd6e8a8a19fe0d1387d2a045f6 a6 
4 USDA. USDA Takes steps to Prevent Illegal Child Labor. April 12, 2023. 
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2023/04/12/usda-takes-steps-prevent-illegal-child-labor
5 Ibid