Unions Discover Teenage Boy Working on Elementary School Construction Site in Minnesota

[Omaha Steve]

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2014/07/08/unions-discover-teenage-boy-working-on-elementary-school-construction-site-in-minnesota/




Image of a teenage boy working construction in Minnesota (via WDAY6)

Teachers and laborers want answers after it was discovered that a minor was working on the $880,000 expansion of Cornelia Elementary in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina. Union reps who had been monitoring the worksite snapped photos of a young boy, age 13 or 14, performing dangerous work including operating a bobcat without proper safety gear.

“We believe children should be learning in classrooms not building them,” Kevin Pranis of the Minnesota Laborers Union stated sardonically.

A letter from local unions followed, according to the Edina Patch:

In a letter to Edina Schools Superintendent Ric Dressen, the unions indicate that the youth was observed on the job site on multiple occasions performing tasks ranging from moving and placing concrete block to operating machinery to cutting block with a concrete saw. The letter states that, on all but one occasion, the witnesses saw the work performed without the use of a hard hat, safety vest, or eye protection.

FULL story at link.

About the Author: Chaz Bolte
Chaz Bolte is a native of Pittsburgh, PA where he attended Slippery Rock University. He currently contributes to WePartyPatriots, Addicting Info, Secret Party Room, and Football Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @ChazBolte

[trumad]

1. wow...

No hard hat....Big violation right there.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. See? Gingrich told us this was perfectly normal. What could go wrong? nt

[awoke_in_2003]

3. the bad old days...

are slowly returning.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. You mean the bad old days of nepotism?

That kid, if he is a kid, is probably one of the bosses' kids.

I worked for such a company. A GC that did hospitals and schools. In the summer we always had a hand full of fuck-ups we had to baby sit.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. Nepotism...

child labor, reduction in benefits, stagnant pay- all of labors achievements are slowly being whittled away.

[Aerows]

11. My first job

My first job was when I was 14 and I worked at my parent's auto repair shop.

I can change oil like nobody's business.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

23. No offense but there is nothing worse than working with the owner's kid.

I had two really bad experiences. Never again.

[former9thward]

4. Could be safety violations but no evidence that the person is a "young boy, age 13 or 14"

Based on the relative size of the tape measure he would be a very tall 13 or 14 year old. Where did they come up with that age?

[LWolf]

5. I just said goodbye to a

just-turned 14 yo, leaving 8th grade and headed to high school in September, a month ago. He was 6' 2". 3 or 4 of his classmates were 6'.

[former9thward]

6. Again, where did they come up with the age?

Just make it up? There are plenty of 18 year olds that person's size who would look exactly like him. Where is the age coming from? Just to get people inflamed?

[LWolf]

7. I don't know.

If you're worried about it, you should probably dig deeper; that would be the logical response.

[former9thward]

9. I tried.

Because I don't believe it for a second. I read the story and they not only do not know who the person is they do not know who he works for. But they saw fit to make his supposed age the main portion of the story.

[Omaha Steve]

12. Slow down

I'm emailing the writer. Give it 24-48 hours.

Safety equipment is still valid at any age.

OS

[former9thward]

21. Agree on the safety equipment.

[Brickbat]

13. The district confirms that "a minor was on the construction site."

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/07/02/allegations-of-child-labor-at-edina-school-site/12107419/

[Cal Carpenter]

15. The school district is taking it seriously

So perhaps the rest of the photos make it clearer.

"Pranis tells KARE 11 that union representatives have been keeping an eye on the $880,000 project to expand Cornelia Elementary, even though it is not a union job. They took the pictures and blew the whistle to both the school district and the MN Department of Labor and Industry when they saw the young teen working on the job site. "We were very concerned for that child's safety. He was working without protective equipment on, on potentially dangerous tasks. Saw cutting and operating a bobcat," said Pranis.

Edina Schools Director of Communications Susan Brott confirms to KARE 11 that the district has learned a minor was on the construction site. Brott said the district is taking the situation seriously, will investigate what else to do as a district, and will turn it over to the appropriate authorities.

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/07/02/allegations-of-child-labor-at-edina-school-site/12107419/

I'm glad unions are keeping an eye on non-union sites and calling out violations. Unions protect worker rights. Human rights.

[former9thward]

24. Again no age at the link.

Just unsupported allegations. And no evidence. I don't believe it.

[whistler162]

28. Let's hope they are just keeping a eye on

the construction and didn't have some union members kid pose for a picture when the site was ideal!

[Brickbat]

14. Contractor blames a subcontractor.

http://www.wday.com/content/minnesota-labor-department-investigating-report-child-working-school-expansion

[Blue_Tires]

19. "Contractor blames a subcontractor..."

How many hundreds of scandals and tragic disasters over the years have had THAT phrase attached to it??

[arcane1]

34. That's pretty much the explanation for every Iraq war debacle n/t

[former9thward]

22. Again no age at the link.

And no evidence.

[Brickbat]

30. The school district confirmed it was a minor.

[former9thward]

32. Where are you getting that from?

It is not at the link. Where is the 13-14 coming from?

[Brickbat]

33. At a different link I posted above.

It doesn't say 13-14, but it does say "minor."

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/07/02/allegations-of-child-labor-at-edina-school-site/12107419/

[Igel]

16. Insufficient data.

This is a silly post.

1. If you're 16 you can look like you're 18 or 19 or look like you're 13. Maturation follows a normal curve, and there are outliers.

2. The kid was reported in the original story to be "as young as 13." Meaning he could be as old as 16 or 17. Notice the lack of a fact serving as the apparent basis of a story.

3. If he was 16 or 17 then he's allowed to work 40 hours a week. Even at a construction site. It's legal. And it's not "child labor" in any immoral or unethical sense of the word. That makes the kid's age an important fact to have.

4. If the kid was 18 or 19 he'd still be a teenager. So he could be a teenager and have no work limitations. The reporter is being sloppy. Or misleading. We don't typically think of 18 or 19 year-olds as "teenagers" once the idea of "minor" has been brought up.

Or he could be a minor and be allowed to work 40 hours a week, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. (I had to look up MN law on that one.) So both claims could be true--and be utterly meaningless. The reporter was crappy--but may have a future as a tabloid writer. Perhaps "Batboy hits 50!"

5. The reporter was crappy. Not only did he not get the kid's age, he quotes an administrator saying two foolish things. The first was that the kid was 13 or 14--something that the administrator could only "know" because he was reporting back to the reporter the reporter's words. In other words, the reporter was reporting on his own words being echoed back as hearsay, except he's presenting this as confirmation. A naive, uncritical reader comes away with the sense that the kid really was 13 or 14, that this is not just an uncertain guess by a naif-reporter but now has the status of proven fact because a second person an administrator, said it. (I never want such people to serve on a jury. Any jury. For anything. Ever.)

The second foolish thing is the inflammatory "we want our kids to be in school" line. The picture's from late June or early July. Does the administrator really want all the high schoolers to have to attend summer school? Or is he making a point that he's pushing for year-round schooling in Minnesota? Probably neither, because the crappy reporter's interviewing technique led to a quote that the reporter liked but which, like the reporter, is pretty senseless.

6. The real story is the lack of safety equipment. The "hook", the outrage, is from the kid's unproven, unattested minority. That's just the reporter trying to manipulate the reader. It worked, it would seem. But as it turns out it's a bait-and-switch trick, if you stop to ponder the factualness of the claim.

But if that's the real story, then there is no real story. "Worker fails to wear safety equipment at construction sight; management fails to consistently enforce rules."

Headline: "Dog barks!" "Young men take risks!"

A poster upthread is probably right. Some boss's kid or the kid of a friend of one of the bosses.

[Omaha Steve]

17. Check the OSHA regulations and DOL, or do you have some other link that legally tolerates this????

Federal law applies on this. Edit 1: MN law MAY BE STRONGER than Federal law however.

Teens can't run dangerous equipment. Not even a cardboard compactor at Wal-greens.

Nice you don't worry this kid is on equipment (bobcat) that requires a hoisting license he isn't old enough to have.

It is late. I'll get back to this tomorrow.

Need I say more?

http://www.dol.gov/WHD/fact-sheets-index.htm

Wage and hour doesn't even have a construction category because it is banned!!!! Roofing is close: One such provision, Hazardous Occupations Order No. 16 (HO 16), generally prohibits minors less than 18 years from employment in any roofing occupation-on a roof as well as on the ground-as well as any work requiring the youth to work on or about a roof.

What did you say about 16-17?

Child Labor (Empleo de Menores)

Amusement Parks
37
(PDF, TEXT)
Child Labor Compliance Survey
41
(PDF, TEXT)
Cooking and Baking
58
(PDF, TEXT)
Driving Automobile & Trucks
34
(PDF, TEXT)
Employing Youth in Restaurants
2A
(PDF, TEXT)
Employing Youth in Restaurants (Spanish)
2A
(TEXT)
Farm Jobs
40
(PDF, TEXT)
Grocery Stores
38
(PDF, TEXT)
Grocery Stores ( Polish )
38 ( PDF )
Health Care
52
(PDF, TEXT)
Lifeguard
60
(PDF, TEXT)
Nonagricultural Occupations
43
(PDF, TEXT)
Power-Driven Balers
57
(PDF, TEXT)
Recreation Establishments
37
(PDF, TEXT)
Roofing Occupations and On Roofs under the FLSA, Employment of Youth in
74
(PDF, TEXT)
Teen Driving
Unnumbered Fact Sheet
(PDF)
Teen Driving (Spanish)
Unnumbered Fact Sheet
(PDF)
Trabajos Agrícolas (Farm Jobs)
40
(TEXT)
Wood Processing Industries
55
(PDF, TEXT)
Youth Minimum Wage
32
(PDF, TEXT)
Youth Minimum Wage (Chinese)
32 (PDF)
Youth Minimum Wage (Korean)
32 (PDF)
Youth Minimum Wage (Thai)
32 (PDF)
Youth Minimum Wage (Vietnamese)
32 (PDF)
Youth Peddling under the FLSA

[Sherman A1]

26. Precisely

Anyone under 18 is not to touch any power operated equipment, end of story. As for the photo posted, no hard hat on a construction site, no matter the age is a violation and just pretty silly from the get-go.

[Teamster Jeff]

27. Pud

[Omaha Steve]

36. Hello?

It seems the post wasn't so silly after all, or Igel got lost.

[Fla_Democrat]

18. I am so glad I live in Florida.

[Doctor_J]

35. don't turn this into one of those Great Lakes bashing threads

[madville]

20. I started in construction when I was 16 a few decades ago

Mainly building custom homes and roofing with my uncle's company. I learned a great deal and learned about hard work, I think it has benefited me throughout my life. It made me realize I didn't want to destroy my body working that hard my entire life and having to numb the pain everyday with a case of beer and bag of weed like most of those guys did. Many of my friends back then worked on the farms, mainly tobacco and watermelons.

Manual labor like construction and farming has certainly changed, it used to be high school kids, rednecks and African-Americans. Around here it is mainly Hispanics now.

It was good money for a teenager back then, $300 a week and you felt like a millionaire. Now the teenagers have to compete for $7 an hour and hope to get 20 hours a week if they are lucky at the fast food place or grocery store.

[Rex]

25. Why didn't they approach and ask questions?

I'm sorry, but the picture and sparse reporting give little clue as to who that is.

[Omaha Steve]

29. We tried talking with the contractors working on the school project...

THEY DID!!!! Get in the game ref. When you get caught caught, you turn into Sgt. Schultz. I know NOTHING....

http://www.wday.com/content/minnesota-labor-department-investigating-report-child-working-school-expansion

We tried talking with the contractors working on the school project. This man who said he was not allowed to identify himself or even the company he worked for, told us his boss had just this quote: a letter has been sent to a subcontractor, notifying of a safety violation and it has been addressed.

[Hofbrau]

31. Follow the interests of the people involved...