MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced today that ADOL has issued and collected more than $35,000 in civil monetary penalties for violations of Alabama’s Child Labor Law. Two businesses, SL Alabama, LLC, and JK USA, were issued fines of $17,800 each for multiple violations of the Child Labor Law.
SL Alabama is an automotive supplier producing headlights and mirrors for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing. The facility is located in Alexander City, AL. JK USA is a temporary employment agency providing workers to automotive suppliers based in Opelika, AL.
Both companies were cited for the following (the number of violations and the fine amounts are the same for each company):
• Three violations of employing a minor under the age of 16 in a manufacturing facility (3 violations = $15,000),
• Two violations of employing a minors aged 14 or 15 in a prohibited environment (2 violations = $600),
• Two violations of working minors under the age of 16 outside of permissible hours (2 violations= $600),
• One violation of failing to obtain the proper Class 1 Child Labor Certificate permit (1 violation = $50),
• One violation of failing to obtain the proper Class 2 Child Labor Certificate permit (1 violation = $50), and
• Five violations of failing to obtain proper identification documents (5 violations = $1,500).
Following a complaint, an investigation of the facility was conducted by ADOL’s Child Labor Inspectors, along with representatives from the United States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. The investigation determined that SL Alabama had employed three minors, aged 13, 15, and 15 in a prohibited manufacturing environment. All three minors were provided by JK USA, a temporary employment agency, but were performing work at SL Alabama. The minors were operating plastic bonding machines in a prohibited occupation and location.
Two other 16-year-old employees were working without appropriate record keeping on premises.
Neither SL Alabama nor JK USA had obtained any required Child Labor Certificates for any age group.
JK USA provided the underage workers to SL Alabama and did not provide documentation regarding the three underage employees until required to do so by state and federal investigators. The minors had not been cleared by E-Verify, the web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States but were still provided to SL Alabama by JK USA.
“This practice of providing and employing underage and undocumented workers is appalling,” said Secretary Washington. “Employee safety, especially the safety of children, is a top priority. These businesses violated the law and put these children at risk, and it will not be tolerated in Alabama. We will vigorously investigate any business or industry suspected to be participating in this illegal activity. We will continue to work with our federal partners, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security, and our state Attorney General’s office to assist in any further investigations or potential criminal prosecutions.”
Alabama’s Child Labor Law (Title 25, Chapter 8) can be found HERE. ADOL does not have statutory authority to levy criminal charges for violations of the Child Labor Law.
Both companies have submitted the penalties in their entirety.
Original source can be found here.
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