Child Labor

[mtblujeans]

On the front page of the Kalispell Daily Interlake yesterday, July 22, there were 2 pictures of children whose families are picking cherries in Yellow Bay, Montana. One child was 10 years old and the other two were 3 and 4 years old. The captions together with the pictures make it sound like they are in Montana with their families picking fruit for the next several weeks.

I called the newspaper last night and left a message asking if these children were all picking fruit. One of the editors returned my call this afternoon and said indeed they are, although "I don't think they make the 3 and 4 year olds work as hard as the 10 year olds". He said that people take their "vacations" here to pick fruit. I asked about child labor laws and he said they apply to all but agriculture. He said the same law that allows an underage driver to drive the tractor across the farming acreage allows 3 and 4 year olds to pick fruit with their families.

I'll be the first to admit this is news to me ~ but is this the way it is everywhere? Do all states allow families to put their little children to work from one job to another ~ I don't mean the family farm ~ under the label of agriculture?

 

[Cindy B]

I can say that my sister and I were picking blueberries at 9 and 10 years old.

There were some kids younger than us doing work as well.

It was long work, bad hours, low pay. I hated every minute of it.

Yes, there were entire familes that did that same thing too. They weren't from the neighborhood, but they would come for a few weeks and then leave.

No child labor laws then. There were no breaks, no bathrooms, and extremely low pay per flat of blueberries.

But honestly, it was either that or no work.

The same rule applied to cranberry bogs as well, but we didn't work the bogs.

 

[princesspumpkin]

There are various labor laws for different states, most of which have exceptions for agriculture and child actors. There is a labor laws website that lists each state's specific law (I can't remember it right now).

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Did the article mention if the families were there to pick fruit for their own personal use, or were they "hired help" that was being paid by the grower to pick the fruit?

 

[BrerMom]

I was allowed to be hired on neighboring farms as soon as *I* thought I was old enough and the farmer hiring me thought I could handle the work.

I was paid less than mimimum wage and still had to pay social security. That still gripes me after all these years. If you're not making minimum wage, you should be exempt from SS.

 

[MosMom]

I used to detassle corn here in Indiana and I'm pretty sure we had to show proof we were at least 15 and had parental permission to do it. I remember this because farmers were one of the few who would hire you at that age and it was a good way to make summer money therefore we all couldn't wait until we were 15.

Detassling turned out to really suck by the way!

 

[HollyJoy]

LOL! My dad used to get me to help him pick his crops when I was little. He had a good sized garden at our church. I hardly think it was child labor. I guess it really depends on the circumstances of the situation. Every year I take my girls to pick peaches, apples and berries.

 

[mtblujeans]

The article said the family was from Washington state and they were hired to pick the fruit for a Washington company. I know, we used to go and pick fruit occasionally as a family for my Mom to can in the summer. But, that was for a few hours in one day. This fruit picking is every day, all day long, in 90+ degree weather, for weeks until the fruit is all picked!! That would mean that the 3 and 4 year old are outside in the heat all day, if their parents are. Even for the 10 year old, that would be picking all day long for 3 or 4 weeks (maybe more)!!