The Republican push to weaken child labor laws, explained – By Rachel M. Cohen (VOX) / May 3, 2023
It’s not just about a labor shortage.
Earlier this week Republican state lawmakers in Wisconsin circulated a new bill that would allow workers as young as 14 years old to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants, down from the state’s current age minimum of 18 years old. The legislative proposal “creates a simple solution” to workforce staffing issues, said the Republican bill sponsors in a memo they circulated to colleagues on Monday.
Wisconsin is not the only state looking to loosen labor laws affecting minors, and over the last few months there’s been Republican-led bills in states like Arkansas, Ohio, and Iowa aimed at making it easier for teenagers to work in more jobs and for more hours in the day. These efforts have overlapped with shocking exposés in the New York Times and Washington Post that uncovered exploited migrant children working illegally in American jobs.
As the Wisconsin lawmakers suggested, these new bills are partly a reaction to the competitive labor market and struggles businesses have been facing to fill open positions. But they’re also rooted in longstanding conservative opposition to workplace regulation, and some labor advocates worry they’re just the opening salvo to a broader attack on government safety rules.
CONTINUE > https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/5/3/23702464/child-labor-laws-youth-migrants-work-shortage
