Sens. Josh Hawley and Cory Booker reintroduce bipartisan child labor bill – NBC News

Sens. Hawley and Booker Reintroduce Legislation to Address Child Labor Violations

Senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., have reintroduced legislation aimed at preventing companies from receiving federal contracts if they have been found to have committed serious, repeated, or pervasive violations of child labor laws.

The senators reintroduced the bill in anticipation of the confirmation vote for Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary. The vote is scheduled for Monday evening.

Disclosure of Child Labor Violations and Ineligibility for Federal Contracts

Hawley and Booker’s legislation would require companies seeking federal contracts to disclose any child labor violations committed by the company or its subcontractors within the past three years. Additionally, it would mandate the labor secretary to compile a list of companies that are ineligible for federal contracts due to any violations.

“Companies that illegally employ children should not be rewarded with lucrative federal government contracts that generate millions of dollars for corporations,” said Hawley, who expressed concerns about child labor during Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation hearing. “This bipartisan legislation would hold companies accountable for engaging in child labor exploitation and ensure that offenders face appropriate consequences.”

Addressing Child Labor Violations in the United States

The reintroduction of this legislation follows the discovery of several American companies employing adolescents illegally and in hazardous occupations, as revealed by investigations conducted by NBC News and The New York Times. Many of these children were unaccompanied migrants who entered the United States in recent years.

Companies such as Perdue Farms and JBS have faced penalties for illegally employing migrant children in their slaughterhouses. Other U.S. businesses have pledged to eliminate child labor from their supply chains.

Ensuring Children’s Safety and Well-being

Booker emphasized the urgency of addressing child labor violations in the United States, stating, “Currently, big corporations are exploiting children in workplaces where federal law explicitly prohibits their presence. Children are being exposed to dangerous machinery in factories, handling toxic chemicals, and working exhausting shifts in meat processing plants, all in flagrant violation of the law.”

He added, “Federal contracts should not be used to prioritize profits for corporations that continue to jeopardize the safety and well-being of our children.”

Last week, Hawley introduced another bipartisan labor legislation aimed at expediting first contracts for new unions. The bill is co-sponsored by Booker, as well as Senators Gary Peters, D-Mich., Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

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

The article discusses child labor violations and the need to hold companies accountable for engaging in child labor exploitation. This aligns with SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

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.

The article emphasizes the need to address child labor violations and ensure that companies do not engage in child labor exploitation. Target 8.7 specifically focuses on eradicating child labor and securing the prohibition and elimination of its worst forms by 2025.

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

• Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (in accordance with the International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor).

The article mentions the illegal employment of adolescents and unaccompanied migrant children, highlighting the issue of child labor. Indicator 8.7.1 measures the proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, providing a quantitative measure of progress towards ending child labor.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcnews.com