ST. JAMES, Minn. (FOX 9) – Meat packing company Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. was fined $2 million after an inspection by state authorities found it to be a illegally employ underage workers during an operation in St. James, Minnesota.

Alleged violations

On April 13, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) conducted an on-site inspection of the Smithfield food production facility in St. James as part of a two-year audit period. years.

The investigation revealed that Smithfield employed at least 11 minor children between the ages of 14 and 17 during this period.

The IDD also found that Smithfield employed nine of the 11 minor children outside of hours permitted by state law – 9 p.m. for those under 16 and 23 hours before a school day for those ages 16 and 17 years old.

In addition to the miners who were working, the IDD found that all workers were performing hazardous tasks such as working near chemicals or other hazardous substances, operating electrical machines, and operating elevators, lifts or elevators. non-automatic lifting machines.

A consent order requires Smithfield to pay a $2 million administrative penalty – the largest penalty the IDD has collected in a child labor enforcement action.

The order also requires Smithfield to contractually require compliance with child labor from its staffing agencies and sanitation contractors, and to take other significant steps to ensure future compliance with child labor. children.

Company response

In response to the sanction, Smithfield released a statement saying the company denies ever knowingly hiring anyone under the age of 18 to work at its St. James facility.

“We completely agree that there is no place for people under the age of 18 to work in meatpacking or processing plants,” Smithfield said in a statement. “As a policy, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not employ anyone under the age of 18 to work in our processing facilities. Additionally, we require our suppliers, including our third-party sanitation service providers, to follow this policy.

The company said it screens all potential employees through a federal system that validates employment eligibility based on records known as E-Verify.

However, “E-Verify does not prevent instances of identity theft or document fraud, nor does it detect all such incidents when they occur,” the company said in a statement. The company later claimed that the 11 people believed to be minors passed the E-Verify system using false identification.

The company says it is “committed to maintaining a safe workplace and complying with all applicable labor laws and regulations.”

What officials say

“It is unacceptable for a company to employ underage children to carry out dangerous work late at night. This illegal behavior impacts the health, safety and well-being of children and their ability to focus on their education and future. Combating illegal child labor in Minnesota is a priority. a priority for the IDD and it will continue to dedicate resources to address and resolve these violations,” said IDD Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach in a statement. “The IDD’s resolution with Smithfield sends a strong message to employers, including in the meat processing industry, that child labor violations will not be tolerated in Minnesota.”