Child Labor Violations Uncovered at Iowa Meatpacking Plant, Company Fined $172,000

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Federal investigators have uncovered another case of child labor violations at a Sioux City, Iowa pork processing facility, resulting in nearly $172,000 in fines against an Oklahoma cleaning company.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Qvest Sanitation of Guymon, Oklahoma employed 11 children to work hazardous overnight shifts at a Seaboard Triumph Foods slaughterhouse. The minors were tasked with using corrosive cleaning chemicals on dangerous meat processing equipment, including head splitters, band saws, and neck clippers.

This marks the second child labor violation case this year involving cleaning contractors at the same Seaboard facility. In May, Tennessee-based Fayette Janitorial Service was penalized $649,000 after investigators discovered they had employed 24 children, some as young as 13, for overnight cleaning work at the plant.

While the ages of the children in the latest case were not disclosed, Qvest's vice president Adam Greer stated the company has not been able to verify the allegations, claiming the Labor Department declined to provide specific information about the violations. Greer noted that Qvest is cooperating with authorities and working to strengthen their hiring procedures.

The recent findings highlight ongoing concerns about child labor exploitation in hazardous industrial settings, particularly through third-party contractors at meat processing facilities. Federal law strictly prohibits minors from working with dangerous equipment and chemicals.

The investigation revealed that nine of the children employed by Fayette Janitorial Service worked specifically at the Seaboard plant, while others were assigned to a Perdue Farms facility in Virginia.