Wisconsin Teen Killed in Sawmill Amid National Push to Expand…

Amid the ongoing push to expand child labor across the nation, 16-year-old Michael Schuls was tragically killed while working at a sawmill in northern Wisconsin.

Florence Hardwoods had illegally employed the teen despite Wisconsin state law prohibiting minors from all occupations in logging and sawmills. This comes in the wake of the revelations that children as young as 13 have been working in dangerous meat production facilities across the country.

Labor Protections Under Attack

Even though child labor violations have increased 37% in the last year alone, corporations and lobbying groups have been pushing harder than ever to expand the use of child labor. Last March, Republican and Democrat lawmakers came together with significant financial support from the lumber industry and their lobbies to reintroduce a bill that would allow minors to work in the lumber industry. This comes amid a nationwide push to expand child labor and undermine the victories of the labor struggles of the past. In the past two years, 14 states have either passed or introduced laws expanding child labor, with Iowa’s governor signing a bill allowing children as young as 14 to work in jobs previously deemed too hazardous.

The Supreme Court as a Weapon Against Child Labor Protections

After decades of protests, labor strikes, and campaigns against child labor, the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was the first piece of federal legislation that sought to weaken the use of child labor in industry. It prohibited factories from selling their goods if they employed children under the age of 14, it banned mines from selling their products if they employed children under 16, and prohibited any business from having children under 16 work nights or over 8 hours a day. The bill was signed into law by Woodrow Wilson in 1916, but overturned in 1918 by the Supreme Court on the grounds of federal overreach.

A second attempt was made in 1918 to address the growing opposition amongst the masses to child labor, with the passing of the Child Labor Tax Law. This was also undemocratically eviscerated by the Supreme Court in their Hammer v. Dagenhart decision on the grounds of federal overreach over commerce. As the movement around a constitutional amendment against child labor grew in the 1920s, so did the movement to discredit it. With the campaign against child labor largely being led by communists and labor unions, it soon became victim to Red Scare propaganda with corporate interest groups calling the movement “a communist-led plot to subvert the constitution.”

Fight Back to End Child Labor

The first efforts to prohibit child labor came about in the 1870s with the Working Men’s Party of the United States, one of the first socialist parties in the country, putting forward a proposition to outlaw the employment of children under the age of 14. Shortly after, during its inaugural convention, the American Federation of Labor passed a resolution demanding states immediately prohibit the employment of children under 14. In 1883, New York labor unions were successful in putting forward legislation that banned tenement cigar making, which was notoriously rife with child labor.

The fight against child labor truly became organized when Florence Kelly, a well known communist organizer, former resident of Hull House, and close friend of Fredreich Engels, founded the New York Child Labor Committee in 1902. At the same time, renowned civil rights activist Reverend Edgar G Murphy was organizing against child labor in Alabama. In 1904, after meeting at the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, Murphy and Kelly created the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), which would emerge as the leading organization against child labor for decades to come. The NCLC worked alongside labor unions to build support for the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act, the Child Labor Amendment, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as engaging in militant journalism to expose and document the horrors of child labor.

By the height of the Great Depression, with so many workers facing unemployment and insecurity, the movement for labor rights reached an all-time high, with communists playing a leading role in the organization of huge strikes. Millions of Americans joined the struggle against exploitation and for basic workers’ rights, including ending child labor. It was through this mass movement, inspired and led by communists, that the first piece of federal legislation prohibiting child labor (the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938) was adopted.

Immediately after being signed into law, the Fair Labor Standards Act was challenged in federal court and risked being ruled unconstitutional like the child labor laws that came before. However, this time the pressure from the working masses was too great to oppose. The Fair Labor Standards Act was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1941 in their Hammer v. Dagenhart decision and in their U.S. v. Darby decision. But like all reforms won under capitalism, the rights granted by the Fair Labor Standards Act remain at risk of being stripped away at any time.

Under a system that prioritizes profit above all else, nothing is off limits – including forcing children to work in unsafe working environments while getting paid low wages. If we want to create a better world that guarantees a safe and bright future for our children, we need a new system that puts people over profits.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

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

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

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

• SDG 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.
• SDG 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

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

• Indicator for SDG 8.7: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
• Indicator for SDG 4.4: Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment, or training.
• Indicator for SDG 16.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Explanation:

The article highlights the issue of child labor and the need to protect children from exploitation. This aligns with SDG 8, which focuses on decent work and economic growth. Specifically, SDG target 8.7 aims to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery, and eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The article mentions the illegal employment of minors in logging and sawmills, which is a violation of labor standards.

Additionally, SDG 4, which focuses on quality education, is relevant to the article. Target 4.4 aims to increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment. The article mentions the need to provide education and skills training to youth to ensure decent jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Furthermore, SDG 16, which focuses on peace, justice, and strong institutions, is connected to the issue of child labor. Target 16.2 aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and violence against children. The article discusses the historical efforts to address child labor through legislation and the need for strong institutions to protect children’s rights.

The indicators mentioned in the analysis are derived from the official SDG indicators provided by the United Nations. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets and track the prevalence of child labor, youth unemployment, and human trafficking.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: liberationnews.org

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