A Mississippi poultry industry accident killed 16-year-old worker D
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Teen Worker Tragedy Sparks Concerns Over Child Labor and Identity Theft in US Slaughterhouses
Unexpectedly, Pérez got the job using the name of a 32-year-old man, raising questions about how easily migrant children work in dangerous professions. Pérez, a Hattiesburg Mar-Jac Poultry employee, died on July 14 and his true age was soon questioned. Occupational Safety and Health Administration prohibits minors from working in slaughterhouses.
The event highlights the difficulties corporations confront in authenticating employee ages. The NBC News documentary “Slaughterhouse Children,” reveals U.S. child labor issues. The Labor Department reports over 800 child labor investigations in 47 states, nearly doubling since 2019.
Mar-Jac verified that Pérez worked for them as an adult. A staffing agency that services the plant hired the adolescent, according to the firm. OSHA and the Labor Department investigated Pérez’s death to understand how a teenager was employed and what happened. The past three years have seen nine Mar-Jac employee identity thefts. The corporation says it’s vetted its whole personnel but can only check E-Verify documents. DHS is backing the OSHA inquiry, but Mar-Jac denies knowledge.
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Publicity and Investigations Highlight Child Labor
Child labor violations carry a $15,138 maximum fine. Mar-Jac says publicity is more powerful than sanctions. The second factory employee to die from equipment in two years was Pérez.
More than 30 children were found working unlawfully for a company cleaning major slaughterhouses in late 2022. PSSI denied recruiting children and paid a $1.5 million civil penalty. Child labor claims have prompted the Labor Department to investigate Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Hearthside Food Solutions, and Gerber’s Poultry.
Meat-processing factory child labor disproportionately affects Guatemalan migrants. Guatemala’s education system has suffered from child migration. Federal investigations target companies, but these young workers’ ruined childhoods are irreparable.
