Statement from Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga on the Federal Raid of Gerber's Poultry Plant
I was appalled to learn that agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI found more than two dozen illegal immigrant children working at the Gerbers Poultry plant in Kidron, Ohio.
We must understand that the use of undocumented immigrant children for cheap labor is not just morally unjust, it undermines the rights and wages of all workers.
The American labor movement fought to establish child labor laws to shield children from exploitation, grant them a proper education, and ensure they grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. It is imperative to understand that these laws were not crafted on a whim, but in response to a history marred by the exploitation and mistreatment of child workers.
All children, no matter where they are born, deserve the chance to be a kid; to play, learn, and grow without the burden of heavy labor. All working people must demand stronger state enforcement and penalties for child labor violations and increased oversight of companies that seek to shield themselves from liability by using “third party vendors” to recruit their workforce. We call on the Ohio legislature to stand up for the rights of all children and protect them from exploitation by corrupt employers.