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I'd never let any of my kids work in a meat processing facility. The danger element alone with combined with unpredictable children sounds like The Jungle just

I'd never let any of my kids work in a meat processing facility. The danger element alone with combined with unpredictable children sounds like The Jungle just waiting to happen again. Still 100 kids out of all the employees seems like a really small fraction, to the point where I wonder if these kids were all related to employees. I've got little sympathy for the company here, but seeing how scarce certain items are at the grocery store, how prices have risen and how difficult it is to secure labor for those jobs I can understand why they would have broken the rules even knowing they'd pay for it eventually, just to keep the wheels moving.

Ancapistani 4y ago
> I'd never let any of my kids work in a meat processing facility. I did, both as a child and as an adult. It wasn't driven by financial need, though, which is obviously a huge difference. In my case it was because I wanted to contribute to my uncle's small business. I did whatever was needed at the "meat shop" during summer vacation when I was a young teen. Sometimes that was working the front desk and selling summer sausage, sometimes it was slaughtering hogs, and sometimes it was cleaning the slaughter room at the end of the day. In return, I stayed at my family's farm during the summer. I had access to all their land and knowledge, was provided room and board, and got a small wage. I was also able to hunt that land in the fall and invite friends to come stay there during hunting season to hunt with me. > Still 100 kids out of all the employees seems like a really small fraction These were contractors, weren't they? It could have been all of their employees > to the point where I wonder if these kids were all related to employees Based on my knowledge of that community, I'd say that's extremely likely. It was probably a mix of kids working in lieu of paying for child care when not in school and kids that weren't in school for whatever reasons (including lacking documentation to get in, not knowing enough English yet, and some dropping out early due to social or behavioral issues). Most or all of their parents likely worked in the same plant.
- twodave 4y ago
  Yeah, I can 100% understand doing that as part of a family business; when your employer is your family it's pretty much assumed they have your best interest at heart (though I realize that isn't always true), and even if you're being paid very little there's a good chance you'll benefit from helping your family prosper.

Ancapistani 4y ago

> I'd never let any of my kids work in a meat processing facility. I did, both as a child and as an adult. It wasn't driven by financial need, though, which is obviously a huge difference. In my case it was because I wanted to contribute to my uncle's small business. I did whatever was needed at the "meat shop" during summer vacation when I was a young teen. Sometimes that was working the front desk and selling summer sausage, sometimes it was slaughtering hogs, and sometimes it was cleaning the slaughter room at the end of the day. In return, I stayed at my family's farm during the summer. I had access to all their land and knowledge, was provided room and board, and got a small wage. I was also able to hunt that land in the fall and invite friends to come stay there during hunting season to hunt with me. > Still 100 kids out of all the employees seems like a really small fraction These were contractors, weren't they? It could have been all of their employees > to the point where I wonder if these kids were all related to employees Based on my knowledge of that community, I'd say that's extremely likely. It was probably a mix of kids working in lieu of paying for child care when not in school and kids that weren't in school for whatever reasons (including lacking documentation to get in, not knowing enough English yet, and some dropping out early due to social or behavioral issues). Most or all of their parents likely worked in the same plant.

twodave 4y ago
Yeah, I can 100% understand doing that as part of a family business; when your employer is your family it's pretty much assumed they have your best interest at heart (though I realize that isn't always true), and even if you're being paid very little there's a good chance you'll benefit from helping your family prosper.