Wisconsin company illegally employed more than 100 children in hazardous work

Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, one of the country's largest food safety cleaning service providers employed more than 100 children as young as 13 in dangerous jobs at 13 meat processing plants in eight states, including JBS, the U.S. Department of Labor said.
Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, one of the country's largest food safety cleaning service providers employed more than 100 children as young as 13 in dangerous jobs at 13 meat processing plants in eight states, including JBS, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

A Wisconsin food safety sanitation services provider has paid $1.5 million in penalties for illegally employing more than 100 children, ages 13 to 17, in hazardous occupations including overnight shifts at meat processing plants in eight states, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

A Department of Labor investigation found that Packers Sanitation Services, based in Kieler in Grant County, employed children working with hazardous chemicals and cleaning meat processing equipment including back saws, brisket saws and head splitters. At least three minors suffered injuries in the hazardous work, according to investigators.

“The child labor violations in this case were systemic and reached across eight states, and clearly indicated a corporate-wide failure by Packers Sanitation Services at all levels,” Jessica Looman, a Department of Labor Deputy Administrator said in a statement.

Packers Sanitation Services illegally employed children in hazardous occupations at some of the nation's largest meat and poultry plants including JBS USA operations in Minnesota and Nebraska, according to investigators.

More: Child workers in meat plantsWisconsin company accused of hiring child workers to clean slaughterhouses, meatpacking plants

Last November, a U.S. District Court judge in Nebraska issued a temporary restraining order forbidding the company from committing child labor violations. In December, the company agreed to comply with child labor provisions in all of its operations and to take significant steps to ensure compliance, including hiring an outside-compliance specialist, according to the Department of Labor.

On Feb. 16, the Department said, the company paid $1.5 million in penalties.

“Our investigation found Packers Sanitation Services’ systems flagged some young workers as minors, but the company ignored the flags. When the Wage and Hour Division arrived with warrants, the adults – who had recruited, hired and supervised these children – tried to derail our efforts to investigate their employment practices,” Michael Lazzeri, a Department of Labor Wage and Hour regional administrator, said in a statement.

When reached by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday, the company declined to answer questions.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin company employed 100 children in meat-packing plant jobs.