Berry Farms Fined For Hiring Kids As Young As 6

First Posted: 08/05/11 11:01 AM ET Updated: 10/05/11 06:12 AM ET

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PORTLAND, Ore. (Associated Press) -- The U.S. Labor Department has fined three Washington state strawberry farms a total of $73,000 for employing children as young as 6 years old as pickers.

The department's Portland, Ore., office says Thursday the violations include failing to maintain proof-of-age records and pay minimum wage. A total of nine underage workers were found during a child labor investigation in June at farms in Woodland, Wash., and Ridgefield, Wash.

The department says all three employers removed the underage workers and agreed to attend wage and hour training for the next three years.

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rwinters

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10:06 AM on 08/06/2011

The way that I see it is Mom and Dad said "If you want to make a buck go ahead"

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beanyncecil

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07:10 AM on 08/06/2011

When I was a child I helped my mother with chores around the house, and rode my bicycle, and did the dishes, and played jacks, and dusted the furniture, which is what children are supposed to do--not pick berries all day long for someone who's not related to them and who is exploiting them for cheap labor.

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telmwl

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04:36 AM on 08/06/2011

As a young boy growing up in Cleveland Ohio in the early 1950's I picked beans during the summer. The local "bean king" farmer used an old school bus to pick us up and take us to the various fields to work. We were never abused and "Doc" the foreman watched over us like a mother hen. We received up to 25 cents a bushel for our work. Had to have a SS card for that that job. That is where I learned the value of money and physical work. Today we are missing a teaching opportunity for our kids. How sad.

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ineluctable

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09:27 PM on 08/05/2011

When I was a boy ( A long long time ago) a truck would come by in the summer and take the neighborhood kids and pay us .06 cent a quart for blackberries we picked. I was about 6 or 7 and they did not mistreat us. We picked what we could and got paid what we earned. Its sad that 6 year old cannot learn what it takes to survive. That is why there areso many on welfare and so many deadbeats. You have to learn early that you have to work the government cannot take care of you and being on walfare with a healthy biody is a shame.

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childlaborer

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07:43 PM on 08/05/2011

wow/ how far we have fallen. i started picking strawberries in woodland at age 9 and am now well over 60; having worked every year since. i have passed my work ethic on to my chilren, who are all gainfully employed in this volatile economy. they have jobs, because when there is a moment of free time where they work, they do not sit idle, they look for work outside their "job discription" and, help others in their workplace . . .they have kept their jobs because they have made themselves valuable to their companies. while others in their workplace were let go. no wonder we no longer have any work ethic in this country. . . .we discourage kids from working.

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