Another nail in the coffin

[Domush]

Because its definition of a family farm was one that your parents were the sole owners.
If your dad and 3 uncles jointly owned/ran "grandpas farm" it would have prohibited them from working there.
In our case, my inlaws have a farm and we do hay. If we are short on people, they hire my siblings (most of whom are still in their teens) when it comes time to stack the hay in the wagons and load it into the barn. That wouldn't have been allowed under the purposed rules.

Aaron Z

Tell me, when "hiring" your siblings, are they paid in cash under the table or hired as employees with tax withholding, worker's comp insurance and safety inspections?

If the former, you are already breaking the law. It isn't like your family ever planned on following the law even if it was fair to extended-family-owned businesses.

Young workers suffer fatalities at 500% the rate of children doing other work, and far more disabling injuries. Although federal law prohibits children under 18 from doing hazardous work in other industries, it allows 16 and 17-year-olds to do hazardous work in agriculture, which the National Safety Council calls our most hazardous industry.

This is the bill you want quashed?

I agree, family farms (including extended family) should be able to have family working it, but there is no need to exempt the random farm from the same child labor laws everyone else must abide by.

As it is, children who work as farm laborers have barely a 50% high school graduation rate. We need these kids to be educated, so we aren't wasting the money the farmers are saving by incarcerating them or paying them welfare later on.

Make no mistake, I grew up on a farm, baled hay, picked crops, even lead the cattle onto the trucks for slaughter. I enjoyed every bit of it (except the picking! ugh!), but it was highly dangerous and putting other peoples' kid's lives at risk should not be allowed on the farm or in the factory. Dangerous work should be limited to people mentally and physically capable of handling it.

Frankly, most of what I did on my family farm was far more dangerous than the things I do today as an adult. I love telling stories about what I did when I was 8 years old, like leading 1000+lb angus onto the trucks or driving the pickup pulling the hay trailer while standing, as I couldn't reach the pedals and sit on the seat at the same time, but in reality I like telling them because I'm a little shocked I survived.

 

[kootch88]

When I worked on the farms surrounding me in the 60's and 70's we were paid 5 bucks a day after school and 15 on Saturday and Sunday. It was hard work, but at least we had money in our pockets and learned how to work and work hard. I know it was dangerous work and we had no insurance unless our parents had it, but I would hate to think of not having done that stuff *** a kid.

 

[tglass]

When I worked on the farms surrounding me in the 60's and 70's we were paid 5 bucks a day after school and 15 on Saturday and Sunday. It was hard work, but at least we had money in our pockets and learned how to work and work hard. I know it was dangerous work and we had no insurance unless our parents had it, but I would hate to think of not having done that stuff *** a kid.

A kid, and a kid as I was. Some of the best of times, and nothing I would forget today as learning and realizing about life. We were wild, and younger kids are too, but it was and still is a part of growing up. Try to keep them out of harms way, and let them do things you see are wrong so they will be able to make their own decisions and learn from it. Quite a balancing act isn't it?

 

[aczlan]

Quite a balancing act isn't it?

That it is. I agree that there should be more protections for youth working on farms, but there needs to be a balance between the two.

Aaron Z

 

[lockhaven]

My first job was on a farm, and no I did not pay any tax. i wish I could do that today. I had more money then my classmates that were working at garages restaurants etc. I was paid in cash

 

[Ken]

Tell me, when "hiring" your siblings, are they paid in cash under the table or hired as employees with tax withholding, worker's comp insurance and safety inspections?

If the former, you are already breaking the law. It isn't like your family ever planned on following the law even if it was fair to extended-family-owned businesses.



This is the bill you want quashed?

I agree, family farms (including extended family) should be able to have family working it, but there is no need to exempt the random farm from the same child labor laws everyone else must abide by.

As it is, children who work as farm laborers have barely a 50% high school graduation rate. We need these kids to be educated, so we aren't wasting the money the farmers are saving by incarcerating them or paying them welfare later on.

Make no mistake, I grew up on a farm, baled hay, picked crops, even lead the cattle onto the trucks for slaughter. I enjoyed every bit of it (except the picking! ugh!), but it was highly dangerous and putting other peoples' kid's lives at risk should not be allowed on the farm or in the factory. Dangerous work should be limited to people mentally and physically capable of handling it.

Frankly, most of what I did on my family farm was far more dangerous than the things I do today as an adult. I love telling stories about what I did when I was 8 years old, like leading 1000+lb angus onto the trucks or driving the pickup pulling the hay trailer while standing, as I couldn't reach the pedals and sit on the seat at the same time, but in reality I like telling them because I'm a little shocked I survived.

The Foot ball coach Can exercise the kids until they fall out . can be injured twisted arms knees blown out head injuries and all for the School glory. But no work to learn how to farm life really is. Where is the 50% of farm kids that fail school. Most return to the farm with college degree in farming .

Have a college teaching brother that is educated well past his ability to do any work.
ken

 

[turnkey4099]

Tell me, when "hiring" your siblings, are they paid in cash under the table or hired as employees with tax withholding, worker's comp insurance and safety inspections?

If the former, you are already breaking the law. It isn't like your family ever planned on following the law even if it was fair to extended-family-owned businesses.



This is the bill you want quashed?

I agree, family farms (including extended family) should be able to have family working it, but there is no need to exempt the random farm from the same child labor laws everyone else must abide by.

<snip>

Yep, that's the bill. I was shocked to hear that they had pulled it. It was plain and simple nothing but a child labor bill and should have been passed.

That we all did things back when we were kids does not make it a sensible practice. The big money maker for us back in the 40s/early 50s was the potato harvest. Stoop labor at its
worst but we eagerly awaited the chance to make some money. I dunno if the farmers had a cutoff on ages they would hire but I saw a lot of very young kids out there.

Harry K

 

[jim_wilson]

The entire thing was a tempest in a teapot and totally distorted from the git-go. It did NOT prohibit kids from working on family farms, FHA, etc.

All i did was prohibit PAID work off the family farm. It was basic child labor law and I do not understand why it was stopped.

Yes, back when I was a kid, we went to work around and on farm machinery from the time we were old enough to be of at least some use. I was on a tractor at 12, first paid job was 10hr/6day/wk at a booming $42 a week plus found and glad to have it.

No other industry is allowed to hire 16 YOA kids, why should farmers?

Harry K

Why shouldn't other industries be able to hire 16 year old kids?

Why do you want to continue to discriminate against 16 year old kids simply because they might not live near enought to a farm where they could get work?