Michigan child labor abuses spur fines, push for reforms | Bridge Michigan

Investigations and Fines Issued for Workplace Safety Violations

Introduction

After the report, Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the U.S. Department of Labor opened investigations into the facility, the agencies announced.

Workplace Safety Investigation

A separate workplace safety investigation has since concluded.

Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or MIOSHA, has leveled over $50,000 in fines against the Kentwood plant, said Mike Krafcik, an agency communication specialist.

The violations included inadequate safety training of employees and dangerous machinery that fell short of safety standards, he said.

Company Response

After the Times story, Hearthside released a statement saying the company was “appalled” by the allegations and would hire a law firm to assess them. According to MIOSHA, the company has paid $5,600 of the more minor fines but is appealing the most serious allegations.

Federal Oversight

Federal oversight has also increased, thanks in part to an interagency task force charged with finding innovative ways to combat child labor, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The task force allows the department – which traditionally is charged with curbing child labor – to collaborate with other federal agencies to address the issue more comprehensively, said Jessica Looman, the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division administrator.

One successful collaboration is with the U.S. Department of Education, which has brought training about child labor to school staff, Looman said.

Legislative Efforts

There’s also a push by state legislators to expand enforcement and better protect workers.

One bill would increase fines. Employers violating child labor laws for the first time, for example, would be fined $5,000 under the proposal, 10 times the current amount.

That would align state and federal penalties, said state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, who sponsored the bill.

It would also allow child workers to seek damages from employers in civil lawsuits and outlaw retaliation against people who report suspected child labor violations to authorities.

Another Skaggs bill would “completely revamp” the system by which teens can legally work in Michigan. He said he hopes that change will ease oversight of underage work.

Currently, Michigan teens get work permits through their school districts.

Skaggs’ bill proposes a system by which they would get permits through the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, creating a statewide database of legal teen workers and the employers hiring them.

Skaggs said he’s worked closely with the department on the legislation. Officials say the new system would help the department identify workplaces to inspect for illegal underage workers.

The first bill passed the House Labor Committee and is awaiting a floor vote. The second is pending in the committee. The bills were co-sponsored by Rep. Will Synder, D-Muskegon.

The bills – which Skaggs said have broad Democratic support but face opposition from some Republicans – were temporarily stalled while the House was evenly split.

After special elections gave Democrats full legislative control again, Skaggs said he is “feeling pretty strongly we’ll get both bills passed soon.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• – Violations of safety standards and inadequate safety training of employees at the Kentwood plant can be indicators of the worst forms of child labor and the need for eradication.
• – Increased federal oversight through an interagency task force can be an indicator of efforts to combat child labor and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• – Collaboration between the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Labor Department to provide training about child labor to school staff can be an indicator of efforts to raise awareness and prevent child labor.
• – State legislators proposing bills to expand enforcement and better protect workers, including increasing fines for child labor violations and allowing child workers to seek damages from employers in civil lawsuits, can be indicators of measures taken to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
• – The proposal to revamp the system by which teens can legally work in Michigan to ease oversight of underage work can be an indicator of efforts to end child labor in all its forms.

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Source: bridgemi.com

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