Abuse of children:

Iowa Workforce Development: Agriprocessors’ Child Labor Investigation
Complete
8/5/2008

For Immediate Release: August 5, 2008
Contact: Kerry Koonce (515) 281-9646

Agriprocessors’ Child Labor Investigation Complete;
Turned Over to Iowa Attorney General’s Office for Prosecution

DES MOINES – The Iowa Labor Commissioner’s Office has completed an
intensive child labor investigation at Agriprocessors, Inc. in
Postville. The investigation, which spanned several months, has produced
57 cases, with multiple child labor violations in each case. A second
portion of the investigation is still pending which may lead to
additional cases.

“The investigation brings to light egregious violations of virtually
every aspect of Iowa’s child labor laws,” indicated Dave Neil, Iowa
Labor Commissioner. “It is my recommendation that the Attorney General’s
Office prosecute these violations to the fullest extent of the law.”

Agriprocessors alleged violations include working minors in prohibited
occupations, failure to obtain work permits, exceeding the allowable
hours to work youth, exposure to hazardous chemicals, working with
prohibited tools and others. Iowa’s child labor laws indicate that every
day during which a violation of the chapter continues, shall constitute
a separate and distinct offense.

Under Iowa Law, child labor investigations are turned over to the county
attorney’s office for prosecution, however the county may choose to turn
the case(s) over to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. The Allamakee
County Attorney’s Office had previously indicated to the department
their desire to turn the case directly over to the Iowa Attorney
General’s Office.

The Labor Commissioner’s Office is still in process of conducting an
investigation into general wage violations at the Postville plant.

- - -

Hopefully these cases will result in some hard time for the corporate
crooks.