States Attempt to Instill 'Work Ethic' by Rolling Back Child Labor Protections

[xchrom]

http://www.thenation.com/article/165561/states-attempt-instill-work-ethic-rolling-back-child-labor-protections

It’s been a long time since the engines of American industry were driven by tiny fingers. So when Newt Gingrich recently proclaimed, “Young people ought to learn how to work,” and suggested that children could develop a strong work ethic by working as janitors in their own schools, many Americans probably missed the throwback to the early twentieth century, when hundreds of thousands of children toiled in factories. But after decades of campaigns against youth exploitation, the right is rekindling vestiges of the sweatshop era with legislation aimed at rolling back child labor laws.

While they didn’t go so far as to recruit tweens back to the factory floor, throughout 2011 state legislators pushed bills to erode regulation of youth employment. Maine Republicans sought to ease protections for young workers with amicably named legislation to “Enhance Access to the Workplace by Minors.” The original bill, introduced by State Representative David Burns, would remove some limits on working hours for teenagers and expand the number of days a youth under 20 could work for $5.25 an hour—to about half a year. That would be a bargain for employers, who pay adult Mainers a minimum wage of $7.50. Last summer, a more limited teen labor bill passed, which only eased restrictions on working hours.

Dismissing his bill’s critics in a Press-Herald commentary, Burns argued the purpose was simply to provide job-seeking youth valuable opportunities, since many “have no experience, and perhaps no work ethic, and don’t merit the minimum wage until they learn a job.” As for government safeguards against abuse, he added, “We have usurped the responsibility of families to make intelligent decisions and transferred that responsibility to school officials and the state.”

Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s legislature, following a vicious battle with unions over protections for collective-bargaining rights, repealed regulations on the hours that 16- and 17-year-olds could work during the school week and breaks.

[Laelth]

1. This is infuriating.

Minimum wage means minimum wage. Children should not get paid less just because they are young.

Furthermore, easing restrictions on child labor is patently insane. Too many adults need those jobs right now. Besides which, I want to live in a country that does not exploit child labor. I have no desire to see us return to the Victorian Era. More people need to read Charles Dickens.

-Laelth

[truth2power]

2. "More people need to read Charles Dickens." Read?? You want the Social Darwinists to read?..

[Laelth]

5. You're right, of course.

I may be asking for a bit too much.

-Laelth

[jdadd]

3. Gotta replace all the Mexicans.....

[marmar]

4. There really does seem to be a determined effort to repeal the 20th century.

nt

[Laelth]

6. Spot on, and it's no joke.

There really is a determined effort to repeal the 20th century, and it's been operating in full force since 1981.

-Laelth

[theAntiRand]

7. "Work Ethic"

IMO, one of the most dangerous phrases in the English language.

[Puzzler]

8. Even if child labor was ethical ...

... repealing those laws would hardly help (adult) unemployment. It would do the opposite.

[Nikia]

10. I agree

This is not the time to be suggesting child labor with so many adults out of work. Children are much better seeing their parents working than trying to juggle work and school themselves.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. Even in college it is hard to work and go to school at the same time.

I tried to go to college and do work-study. It didn't work. I had to stop working.

[Jefferson23]

12. A new low..these states don't have children they want to protect? Fucking schmucks. n/t