Smithfield agrees to pay $2 million to resolve child labor allegations at Minnesota meat plant

The Associated Press
November 14, 2024, 2:27 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Smithfield Foods, one of the nation’s largest meat processors, has agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations of child labor violations at a plant in Minnesota, officials announced Thursday.

An investigation by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry found that the Smithfield Packaged Meats subsidiary employed at least 11 children at its plant in St. James ages 14 to 17 from April 2021 through April 2023, the agency said. Three of them began working for the company when they were 14, it said. Smithfield let nine of them work after allowable hours and had all 11 perform potentially dangerous work, the agency alleged.

As part of the settlement, Smithfield also agreed to steps to ensure future compliance with child labor laws. U.S. law prohibits companies from employing people younger than 18 to work in meat processing plants because of hazards.

State Labor Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach said the agreement “sends a strong message to employers, including in the meat processing industry, that child labor violations will not be tolerated in Minnesota.”

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