Newspaper Article

Child labor abuses and America's `investment' in young people

Joseph Kinney and Amy B. Gleason

1990

Overview

Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole has declared war against those who violate child labor laws. While her leadership should be commended, much more needs to be done if the interests of education and work are to be balanced in the lives of young people. Dole's strike has caught child labor exploiters off guard. Service sector employers of young people have been put on notice that the federal government is no longer willing to tolerate the abuses that are increasingly pervasive in our fast-paced society. Already, according to news accounts, the service sector is maneuvering to change child labor regulations. Any changes should be approved only after careful analysis and consideration of the facts. Dole's action has effectively expanded the enforcement of child labor laws to a new category of exploitation. Enforcement resources previously had been deployed to stop exploitation in places like garment-district sweatshops in large cities. The new category is the convenience-driven service industry-especially fast food operators, convenience stores and service stations. Dole's initiative could not come at a more opportune time.

• Publisher: Tribune Publishing Company, LLC