The U.S. Department of Labor found two of the biggest meatpacking companies in the U.S. illegally relied on child labor for years. The New York Times reports they have now been ordered to pay a combined $8 million in fines.  

By any means necessary, including child labor 

Perdue Farms and JBS are two of the United States biggest meatpackers. Notably, the two companies were investigated after The Times exposed migrant children had been working overnight around extremely dangerous machinery. It is rare for major brands like these to be scrutinized at a federal level. Further, it is even rarer for them to face a payout of this size for labor violations. Indeed, Perdue Farms and JBS will pay a combined $8 million. 

Seema Nanda, the department’s chief legal officer said: 

“We have seen far too many businesses and employers too often getting labor by any means necessary.” 

The Federal investigation uncovered that as far back as 2020 children had been working at a Perdue plant in Virginia. Shockingly investigators found children were working extremely late hours and were using electric knives and hot sealing tools to do highly dangerous jobs. Perdue is slated to pay $4 million to the children and to organizations that provide support for unaccompanied child migrants who arrive in the U.S. alone.  

Children as young as 13 were found working overnight cleaning shifts at JBS slaughterhouses in multiple states. Additionally, investigators shared that the children were found working with potent chemicals. Some reported having to show up to school with burns. They were also responsible for washing hazardous tools, including things like head splitters. Thus JBS is also paying $4 million. 

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