Child Labor-Laws Getting Slowly Rolled Back

Time:

The government has not had a lot of ideas for what to do about the nation's anemic job market, but there are troubling signs that one old idea is starting to re-emerge: child labor. In the first part of the 20th century, there was a concerted effort to end the scourge of children working in factories and textile mills. But now there is a small but noticeable drive to weaken these protections.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[gwinegarden]

09:23 AM on 06/07/2011

After they've swept your chimney, make sure you give them a nice shiny penny.

[ChicagoBob]

08:22 AM on 06/07/2011

Why pay a 40 year old man a living wage when you can pay a 12 year old girl so much less.

What are we doing to ourselves? What are we thinking? If the voters, or more importantly the ones who do not vote, do not get their brains working in time to make reasoned decisions in 2012 we will be in deep, deep grease.

[Captain Hindsight]

09:09 AM on 06/07/2011

It is the ones who do not even bother to register to vote that have the most to lose if the republicans get their agenda into law.

[mp905]

07:25 AM on 06/07/2011

The sad thing is that eventually parents will be advocating for an elimination of the child labor laws. They will need their kids' wages to raise the family. Look at manufacturing plants in Juarez, Mexico. Most of the people on the assembly line are 16 year old girls. The US is just one generation (at most) away from this.

[dporterdvd]

04:08 AM on 06/07/2011

Instead of paying a minimum wage, a lot of corporations are abusing the internship system by exploiting college students and unemployed graduates.

Why pay minimum wage when you can replace an intern who works for free with a new intern instead of actually hiring somebody?

[glddraco]

01:52 AM on 06/07/2011

smells like koch work to me.

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:53 AM on 06/07/2011

This is just one of those things that I never thought would happen in this country. Social Conservatives are completely insane.

"Get a job! I'm tired of this 'but I'm only 4!' garbage!"

[Vic22]

11:32 PM on 06/06/2011

I recently was having a discussing with some of my conservative friends about the minimum wage. Even though I showed them data that the current minimum wage (I showed him Michigin's which is 7.40, about 2 dollars higher than the federal minimum), he thought it should be abolished so that people could work for less, because there are people that would want to, and no one would be taken advantage of. I reminded him of why there was a minimum wage, and asked if he wants to return to the days of sweatshops. Thats when I realized something about conservatives.

Whether it be the child labor laws, minimum wage laws, unions, convservatives only see the here and now. They refuse to acknowledge the history behind why any law or regulation was enacted, and if that law or regulation did fix the problem, they believe that America is so different now, that if that law is repealed, everything it fought to end, will stay ended.

Hopefully sooner than later, they'll realize that history will always repeat itself

[rob126]

11:53 PM on 06/06/2011

Once the former middle class realizes that the Regressive Party and its corporate masters are not interested in sharing the fruits of the middle class's labor, then history will repeat itself. History has shown time and again, that once basic needs such as food, shelter, and health care are no longer available, the benefits of a revolt outweigh the risks. Once the middle class realizes that there are no pensions/retirements, no health care, no housing, and no pay, they will rise up and say NO WAY!

[mtnlife96]

08:18 AM on 06/07/2011

They are the perfect demonstration of the adage that those who do not know history are destined to repeat it. I view that as the intent. They understand history just fine...the version of history that they endorse.

[Maranda MassieGuthrie]

11:29 PM on 06/06/2011

well if the GOP get their way they will undo everything the has been done over the last 65 years, work kids long and for cheaper..no, abortions you don't have the right, idc if you are dying, monopolies and to big to fails welcome back to the land of the not so free, unions bye bye..and the list keeps growing and growing oh and lets not forget the wage indifference, and good bye middle class, you are either a have or have not..!

[FatFeline]

09:26 PM on 06/06/2011

The States that are changing their laws are still in compliance with Federal Law. If it is good enough for the Feds it should be good enough for the States.

[shryock]

10:09 PM on 06/06/2011

according to the article, maine has ruled that children can work until 10:15 pm and work 24 hours per week. federal guides for children 14 and 15 say they can only work until 9pm and only 18 hours per week. so that does not seem like maine is in compliance with federal law.

which is in some ways immaterial.

the thrust of this change in child labor laws is coming from businesses that want workers they can pay less so that they can make more profits.
if you are pro business and pro business profits, child labor is a good way to accomplish profit since cheap labor leads to increased profits.
secondarily, should the state encourage children to be the sole bread winners in their households? if businesses can hire kids instead of hiring, and thus paying more for, their parents, does this represent the direction our states should be going? is this ultimately good for the country? does it support family values? does it support families?

[mnnyer]

09:16 PM on 06/06/2011

The GOP has directed us towards a very slippery slope.
We should take care not to start the descent, I fear the climb back will be impossible.

[pattiepcomedy]

09:24 PM on 06/06/2011

There are people that need to be employed because it gives them something to do. Eventually, the more unemployed there are, the more they will take to the streets. I mean Republicans really don't want to see me unemployed. I am not the type to internet surf all day. I am edgy; I am clear; I will NOT let others destroy America. If I am unemployed, you will wish I was because I will, with my meager earnings, buy a bullhorn. Because I will not by ... and I feels others will come to that conclusion also.

If we stop fighting for the American way, then we will deserve being slaves. That is not my legacy. And it's not any of our destiny - to be slaves.

[pattiepcomedy]

09:16 PM on 06/06/2011

Did you notice that the law where they paid less than minimal wage was called the 'under 20' - so you graduate from high school and they expect you to be paid $5.25/hour. No reason to have their parents work if businesses can save $2.25 PER HOUR by hiring their kids.

'Another bill would have allowed employers to pay workers under 20 a "training wage" of $5.25, instead of the standard Maine state minimum wage of $7.50'

How come we're worth $5.25 and the people who lost our money are worth millions a year? You can bet if we caused these people to lose their money, we'd all be in jail. Double-standard.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

[mtnlife96]

08:20 AM on 06/07/2011

F&F. More Americans need to decide that we will not "go gently into that good night". It's time for people to turn off the electronics, all the electronics, and start paying attention to what's being done to this Country.

[KIVPossum]

08:43 PM on 06/06/2011

To work or not work is a decision for the kid and parents (sometimes the kid's income is necessary to help the family stay afloat). The hours should be up to the kid (and parent) and hours tied to school performance.

However, the kids should be paid normal minimum wage. An entry level wage for a probationary period is only going to have thousands of kids hired, to be fired in 90 days - and the damage to a person's ego from being let go from a dozen jobs will take a toll on their future job performance

[FatFeline]

09:27 PM on 06/06/2011

The minimum wage is one of the biggest things that is keeping young people from getting jobs.

[pattiepcomedy]

10:10 PM on 06/06/2011

Why?

[mtnlife96]

08:22 AM on 06/07/2011

Actually, being children keeps children from getting jobs. That, and adults who actually care about them.

[been2there]

11:05 PM on 06/06/2011

No, kids should not work long hours that prevent them from doing well in school. The fact that many do, and many parents go along with it does not make it right.

[KIVPossum]

11:37 PM on 06/06/2011

After you learn to read, perhaps you will note I said hours should be tied to performance.

[Ascoli]

08:19 PM on 06/06/2011

Cut education funds
Cut child labor laws
What is becoming of the USA?

[jonmag]

10:25 PM on 06/06/2011

GOP

[mtnlife96]

08:27 AM on 06/07/2011

Add in cut humane benefits for the poorest, throw the seniors under the bus, sacrifice our Military on any whim, limit or eliminate the rights of all except really rich/ white/ heterosexual men and you have the Right's view of the future of America.

[observingstupiditydaily]

07:19 PM on 06/06/2011

Rushing to a third world status as fast as they can. Have more children then you can afford to feed by closing down women's health centers, PPH. 1 in 4 children in the U.S. go hungry, but don't touch that $1 Billion dollars sitting in the fund for just that. Bust the Unions so we can pay you whatever makes our shareholders happy. Mirror places like India with Fracking and pipelines that leak, fouling the agricultural fields and clean water. I could go on for days, but this is the reality because they've already started in states where Cons are in control. 2012 is the line in the sand.

[FatFeline]

09:30 PM on 06/06/2011

You do realize, of course, that the States still have to stay with the Federal Law?

Are you saying that Federal Child Labor Law are of third world level? Have you ever been to a third world country?

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:55 AM on 06/07/2011

Don't worry, if the GOP get's their way on everything, you won't have to go anywhere to see what it's like to live in a third world country.

[mp905]

07:22 AM on 06/07/2011

Why does this comfort you?

[addisonsteele]

07:05 PM on 06/06/2011

Just wait, the Republicans will attempt to reinstitute debtor's prison (prisoners are a source of underpaid labor).

[BrettnCalgary]

07:17 PM on 06/06/2011

They would do it tomorrow (or better yet, today, right now), if they thought they could do it.

[WilliamBudd]

08:26 PM on 06/06/2011

The one place they'd approve of house arrest....
so they wouldn't have to pay for food and lodging.