Two major US meatpackers, Perdue Farms and JBS, have agreed to pay a combined $8 million after the Department of Labor found they relied on migrant children to work in their slaughterhouses. The deals come as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to crack down on child labor.
Federal investigators found that children had been working at a Perdue plant on Virginia’s Eastern Shore since 2020, performing tasks with electric knives and hot sealing tools. The company agreed to pay $4 million in restitution and a $150,000 civil penalty.
JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, also agreed to pay $4 million after investigators found that children as young as 13 were working overnight cleaning shifts at its slaughterhouses in several states. The company said it would use the money to help children with scholarships, stipends, and English classes.
The deals follow a series of child labor settlements announced by the Biden administration. Other companies, including Hearthside Food Solutions, have agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle investigations into child labor violations.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/us/perdue-jbs-slaughterhouses-child-labor.html