National Food Manufacturer Pays $140,164 in Penalties for Child Labor Violations
A federal investigation determined the company illegally employed 11 teens.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Oct 12, 2023
Monogram Meat Snacks LLC—a subsidiary of national food manufacturer Monogram Food Solutions LLC—has been fined $140,164 following a federal investigation.
According to a release dated Oct. 10, the company illegally employed 11 teenagers at its meatpacking and food processing facility in Chandler, Minnesota. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) found that the minors, including nine who operated hazardous machinery, were employed in violation of federal child labor laws.
Inspectors from the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division launched the investigation in March 2023. They confirmed Monogram had employed five 17-year-olds, four 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds, infringing federal statutes. The case against Monogram resulted in a consent judgment by the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in July 2023.
Monogram must now take action to get in compliance with the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company is required to hire a third-party consultant for nationwide audits, establish a toll-free number for anonymous reporting of potential child labor issues and place identifying marks on all hazardous equipment.
“As we made clear earlier this year, the Department of Labor and the Biden-Harris administration are committed to combating the troubling increase in child labor violations,” Principal Deputy Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman said in a statement. “No employer should ever jeopardize the safety of children by employing them to operate dangerous equipment. Employers are legally responsible to recognize potential child labor violations and to take all appropriate actions to verify that they are not employing children illegally.”
The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division is amid an ongoing campaign to combat child labor. According to the department, child labor violations have increased by 69 percent nationwide since 2018.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.