Entries by Reid Maki

Press Statement: NCL strongly opposes the ‘Nullify Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act’ 

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February 4, 2025 Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) voices its strong opposition to the newly introduced legislation, the Nullify Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act, which seeks to abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This legislation, introduced by Republican Congressman Andy Biggs, would repeal the landmark Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, eliminating vital federal workplace safety regulations. This would not only jeopardize the health and safety of millions of American workers but also threaten progress made in reducing workplace hazards. “This bill would be a catastrophic step backward for worker safety in this country,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Repealing OSHA would put workers at great risk by dismantling the very protections that have helped reduce workplace injuries and deaths for over 50 years. Without OSHA, many workers will be left vulnerable to unsafe conditions, and it will be the most vulnerable—low-income and minority workers—who will bear the brunt of dangerous rollbacks. Additionally, OSHA plays a crucial role in ensuring children’s safety in the workforce by holding corporations accountable and enforcing laws against dangerous, illegal labor practices. We need to build on the progress made in workplace safety, not dismantle it.” For over fifty years, OSHA has been instrumental in safeguarding workers from hazardous conditions, significantly reducing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. When OSHA was founded […]

NCL Applauds DOL’s Efforts to Hold Corporations Accountable When It Comes to Child Labor Violations

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  January 21, 2025/in Press release child labor Press Releases Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)- 207-2829 Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) applauds the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for their recent efforts to combat unlawful child labor practices, following several significant enforcement actions in the past week. These recent actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to holding corporations accountable for violating child labor laws and protecting vulnerable young workers from exploitation. “NCL commends the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor for these landmark actions,” said Reid Maki NCL Director of Child Labor Advocacy. “These agreements not only hold corporations responsible for their violations but also set a clear precedent for others to follow in ensuring that children are not subjected to dangerous, illegal labor.” This month’s actions by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Divsion: Cleaning Contractor Pays $400,000 in Penalties: The DOL reached an agreement with a Tennessee cleaning contractor, requiring the company to pay $400,000 in civil penalties and take proactive steps to prevent child labor violations. The company will implement new policies, including monitoring and auditing to ensure children are not employed in hazardous jobs, and provide a toll-free number for reporting concerns. Additional information here. Perdue Farms and Staffing Agency Address Violations: The DOL reached an agreement with Perdue Farms and a temporary staffing agency, SMX, following an investigation […]

New Report on Children and Armed Conflict — The Use of Child Soldiers

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Children forced to become soldiers suffer PTSD, endure distressing training and initiations, perform hazardous jobs and face dangerous armed conflict. They often witness, suffer from, or are forced to take part in torture and killings. Being a member of an armed group does permanent damage to families and communities and deprives them of nutrition and healthy living conditions.

U.S.DOL News Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces 2024 Iqbal Masih Award Winners; Recipients in Egypt, Ghana Lauded for Contributions to End Child Labor

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News Release/June 5, 2024 [from USDOL] Wadi El Nil Association, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe recognized for stellar efforts WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the recipients of the 2024 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor, presented annually to recognize exceptional efforts by an individual, company, organization or national government to end the worst forms of child labor. The recipients are an Egyptian civil society organization, Wadi El Nil Association and a leading trade unionist in Ghana, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe. “The recipients of the 2024 Iqbal Masih Award are champions in the fight against child labor,” said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee. “Their unwavering efforts and achievements in the ongoing campaign to eliminate child labor have rescued children from the dangers of hazardous work and created economic opportunities for families to help derail the cycle of child labor in Egypt and Ghana.” A pivotal force in combating child labor in Egypt’s limestone mining sector for more than two decades, Wadi El Nil Association rescues children from hazardous quarries, offering them pathways to education and skills development. The association seeks to break the connection between poverty and the cycle of child labor by providing microloans to families to help them to achieve economic stability. In recent years, Wadi El Nil has extended additional support to vulnerable […]

U.S. DOL obtains order to force Los Angeles-area meat processor, staffing agency to give up $327,000 in profits from oppressive child labor

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USDOL News Release June 25, 2024 Investigation revealed children working dangerous jobs, unlawful hours CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in a federal court ordering a City of Industry meat processor and a Downey staffing agency to surrender $327,484 in illegal profits made from sales of products associated with oppressive, exploitative child labor. The judgment also requires the employers to pay the department $62,516 in penalties. The June 20, 2024, judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that determined A&J Meats and The Right Hire jointly employed and endangered children as young as 15 by tasking them to use sharp knives, allowing them to work inside freezers and coolers, and to scheduling them to work at times not permitted by law, all in violation of federal child labor regulations. “A&J Meats and The Right Hire knowingly endangered these children’s safety and put their companies’ profits before the well-being of these minors,” said Western Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco. “These employers egregiously violated federal law and now, both have learned about the serious consequences for those who so callously expose children to harm.” Specifically, division investigators found that children worked […]

CLC’s Reid Maki joins America’s Workforce Union Podcast for World Day Against Child Labor

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Listen to the podcast by clicking here.   [From America’s Workforce Union Podcast] In honor of World Day Against Child Labor, Reid Maki, the director of child labor issues and coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about his organization’s work to end abusive child labor practices. He discussed some of the major violations over the past 18 months in America and how the CLC is educating legislators on proposed legislation that could improve the regulation of child labor. The CLC, a part of the National Consumers League, has been in operation for the last 35 years and has worked closely with unions since its inception to help prevent child labor abuse in the workforce. Maki discussed some of the organizations that regularly work with the CLC to prevent child labor violations. He also discussed what the Fair Labor Standards Act did to prevent many, but not all, of the child labor issues in America. Despite the efforts from the labor movement and the CLC, there are far too many child labor violations in the U.S. Maki talked about the recent incident where a 13-year-old was found that working overnight shifts at a Hyundai production plant in Alabama and how something like could happen. He also talked about similar events over the past […]

2024 Domestic Child Labor Bills the Child Labor Coalition endorses:

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Bills to increase fines: R. 2956 — “Combating Child Labor Act” by Rep. Kildee (D-MI) 42 cosponsors as of  4/16/2024 R. 2388 — “Justice for Exploited Children Act of 2023” by Rep. Scholten (D-MI) 7 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024. [This bill is Bipartisan]. 637 — “Child Labor Prevention Act” by Sen. Schatz (D-HI) 12 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024 3051 – Stop Child Labor Act by Senator Schatz (D-HI) 1 cosponsor as of 4/16/2024 [This bill is an update of Schatz’s bill listed prior and is also bipartisan]   Bills that seek increased fines AND multiple other improvements: R. 6079 – CHILD Labor Act by Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) also known as “Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous Labor Act” 21 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024 3163 – CHILD Labor Act by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) also known as “Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous Labor Act” [Companion bill to H.R. 6079] 16 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024 R. 4440 – “Protecting Children Act” by Rep. Scott (D-VA) 8 Cosponsors as of 8/11/23 9 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024     Protecting child farmworkers: R. 4020 – “Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act by Rep. DeLauro” (D-CT) 2 cosponsors as of 4/16/24 1921 – “Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act” by Senator Durbin (D-IL) 3 cosponsors as of 4/16/2024 R.4046 – “Children’s Act […]

Shareholders demand McDonald’s and Wendy’s tackle child labor problems.

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[Via The Washington Post, May 9, 2024] Citing work by The Washington Post, shareholders are asking the companies for a zero-tolerance policy at their franchises. “A group of powerful investment managers and public treasurers with assets invested in McDonald’s are demanding that the company take tougher steps to address child-labor violations at its franchises.” Read the rest of the article here.  

USDOL Press Release: DOL Fines Children Employed Illegally in Dangerous Jobs, Obtains $4.8M in Wages, Damages for Poultry Industry Workers in California

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[May 2, 2024] Investigation finds 14-year-old children using razor-sharp deboning knives WASHINGTON – In one of the largest wage violation settlements ever reached for U.S. poultry workers, a federal court in Los Angeles has entered a consent judgment that orders Fu Qian Chen Lu, Bruce Shu Hua Lok and others as owners and operators of a network of California poultry processors and distributors to pay $4.8 million in back wages and damages to 476 workers and $221,919 in penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation. The settlement requires the employers to give up $1 million in profits earned from the sale of goods tainted by oppressive child labor and pay assessed penalties of $171,919 for their child labor violations. The judgment follows the grant of a temporary restraining order that barred the shipment of hot goods into commerce and required the employer to disgorge all profits related to any such shipment. Go here for the rest of the release.