Wisconsin has long been a progressive state. Long before other states started promoting themselves as Progressive Wisconsin went about it’s business of being progressive. Our biggest nod was our State Motto (Forward) and the early laws passed to protect workers from death and injury on the job. Laws like Workers Compensation which was enacted to help injured workers heal from their injury/injuries and not losing their employment or living quarters due to their inability to return to their regular job.
And just like Worker’s Compensation the requirement of children under the age of 18 to secure a work permit is nearly 140yrs old. In fact it grew out of legislation, passed in April of 1889, that required children to attend school (Chapter 519: An ACT concerning the education and employment of children). This law set out the requirement that every child between 7 and 14 shall attend a day school, public or private, for a period of not less than 12 weeks a year but not more than 24 weeks in a year. In Section 9 is laid out the conditions for the employment of minors. Section 10 lays out guidelines for children under the age of 10 and without a family to support them. Section 11 states that no child of any age shall be employed without such permit. Sections 12 & 13 lay out penalties for any employer that violates this act.
That changed in 2017 with the help of the governor and the legislature. In an openly acknowleged statement they removed the requirement of needing a Work Permit for 16 & 17 year olds. They have since discussed removing the requirement for 14 & 15 year olds. So far they have been cautious about moving forward with their plans due to public outcry when it makes the news.
What Is A Work Permit?
A Work Permit is a legal document issued by the government, paid for and held by the employer that states the name of the employer, the type of work being performed, provides funding for investigation of employers and working conditions. A work permit costs $10.00. The State of WI has estimated that the elimination of Work Permits for 16 and 17 year old workers will cost the state approximately $144,000 a year. That’s an estimated 14,400 16 and 17 year old workers a year that are working for employers that are now less accountable to their workers and the community. Since then child labor laws complaints have gone up while the revenue available to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute has drasticallly diminished. According to some reports these complaints have increased four fold from 2018 to 2022.
We’ve all heard the stories of child labor abuses in the past and want to believe that such things can no longer happen in our modern world. But the facts tell a different story. A story of reckless endangerment where children’s lives were at risk. There’s the WI-based company that was caught using hundreds of children to clean the tools and machinery in meat butchering and packing plants. Tools and equipment that those same children are prohibitted from using or operating due to their age. There’s the 16 year old boy that was killed in a saw mill while working unsupervised.
The list of jobs/work the legislature is proposing to allow children to work in are hazardous in themselves while others take place in hazardous surroundings. It would seem that the wealthy are more than willing to sacrifice your children on the alter of increased profitability instead of hiring an adult and paying a living wage and benefits.
If you would like to join in the fight to protect our future and our children contact WisCOSH to join our Protect Teen Workers Committee. You can do so by scanning the QR code and sending an email.