Senator calls to investigate child labor law violations by fast food meat supplier

A whistleblower has come forward accusing Tyson Foods of using illegal child labor in one of their processing plants. US Senator Josh Hawley is now calling on Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to launch a formal investigation into the company reports AG Daily.  

Put your money where your mouth is  

During her confirmation hearing, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer stated her commitment to aggressively target companies exploiting children.  

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer has said, 

“Child labor should not be accepted by anybody in America. The Department of Labor has the enforcement capability to double down if [companies] are knowingly breaking the law and exploiting children in their factories.” 

Now Sen. Hawley is calling on her to make good on that promise due to allegations by a former safety official at Tyson who claims they personally observed underage workers at the plant.  

In his letter to the Secretary Sen. Hawley said, 

“I have been contacted by a whistleblower who alleges that Tyson Foods used child workers at one of its processing plants — in likely violation of federal child labor law…I urge you to fully investigate these troubling allegations immediately.” 

Sen. Hawley is currently serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime. Due to the same allegations, the subcommittee itself has already opened an investigation. Sen. Hawley is now asking Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to also take up an investigation at the federal level.  

Actions speak louder than words 

The same whistleblower claims that, in addition to the underage workers they personally witnessed, multiple other employees have reported seeing underage workers at the Tyson plant. Using a practice pointed out by the NYT, it is thought the workers were hired by a third-party contractor. By using third-party hiring practices, companies seek to avoid responsibility for any underage hires or violations. 

Hawley wrote in his letter: 

“We cannot allow children to continue to be exploited in the name of corporate profits. I therefore urge you to investigate all allegations regarding Tyson’s illicit child labor practices, including these new whistleblower allegations.” 

Sadly, Tyson isn’t a lone offender. Child labor law violations have been on the rise in the US for several years. In response to the uptick in violations, new enforcement efforts were introduced in 2023. But these efforts clearly don’t go far enough. Another recent investigation found that a 14-year-old was severely injured while cleaning the belt of the drumstick packing line and a 16-year-old was fatally mangled while working at a poultry plant. And the list goes on. 

All the research points to meatpacking plants as no place for children. When we go to the shops to buy groceries, we shouldn’t have to worry our chicken is costing a child’s life.

That’s why Freedom United has launched a new campaign to tell meat processing companies JBS, Perdue, Cargill, and Tyson to stop turning a profit through the exploitation of children. Add your voice to those demanding the U.S. government protect our children and keep exploitation off the dinner table.