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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 334 3c1 CE 058 359 TITLE Chilaren At Risk in the Workplace. Hearings before the Employment and Housing Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, Second Session (March 16 and June 6, 1990). INSTITUTION Congress of the U. S., Washington, D. C. House Committee on Government Operations. PUB DATE 90 NOTE 360p.; Document contains some small type. AVAII1,ABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC15 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adolescents; *Child Labor; Children; Child Welfare; *Compliance (Legal); *Employment Practices; *Food Service; Hearings; *Labor Legislation; *Occupational Safety and Health; Secondary Education; Small Businesses IDENTIFIERS Congress 101st ABSTRACT Thls document reports the oral and written testimony given at a hearing on the exploitation of children andteenagers in the workplace. Witnesses included officials of fast foodchains and other businesses, Labor Department officials, employees offast food chains and their parents, and parents of children whowere killed or injured while working. Testimony centered on howmany hours children work, the problems of regulating franchisees'uses of child labor, the necessity of children spending more timeon studies, and the flagrant and widespread abuse in hours and safety rules being committed in the United States. Testimony also notedthat in other industrialized countries, such as Germany and Japan,students rarely work. Many instances of injuries were cited. Departmentof Labor statistics on violations were also discussed, andlaw enforcement efforts were encouraged. (KC) ********************************************,*****x***************W**** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best thatcan be made from the original document. ********************************t************************************** CHILDREN AT RISK IN THE WORKPLACE cez HEARINGS BEFORE THE C'eZ EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE CYZ OF THE C OMMIT TEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIRST CONGRESS SECOND SESSION MARCH 16 AND JUNE 8, 1990 Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations U.E. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Ork of Edu4ational Research and Improvement E CATIONAl RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. r Minor changes have been made to impreve reproduction quality Points of vit.* or opinions Stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily renresent official OERI position or policy U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE :0,23i . WASHINGTON : 1990 For sole by the Superintendent of Documents. Congressional Sales Office US. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 BEST COPY AVAILABLE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS JOHN CONYERS,JR.,Michigan,Chairman CARDISS COLLINS, IIIioie FRANK HORTON, New York GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma WILLIAM F. CLINGER. JRPenn.sylvania HENRY A. WAXMAN, California AL McCANDLESS, Californi. TED WEISS, New York HOWARD C. NIELSON, Utai MIKE SYNAR, Oklahoma RICHARD K. ARMEY,Texae STEPHEN L NEAL, North Carolina DONALD E. "BUZ" LUKENS, Ohio DOUG BARNARD, Ja., Georgia J. DENNIS HASTERT, Illinois BARNEY FRANK, Massachusetts -ION L. KYL, Arizona TOM LANTOS, California CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut ROBERT E. WISE, Ja. , West Virginia PETER SMITH, Vermont BARBARA BOXER, California STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico MAJOR R. OWENS, New York CHUCK DOUGLAS, New Hampshire EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York C. CHRISTOPHER COX, California JOHN M. SPRAW, Ja., South Carolina CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming BEN ERDREICH, Alabama ILEANA ROS-LEHT'ImEN, Florida GERALD D. KLECZKA, Wisconsin ALBERT G. BUSTAMANTE, Texas MATTHEW a MARTINEZ, California NANCY PELOSI, California DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey JIM BATES, California GARY A. CONDIT, California JULIAN EPSTEIN, Staff Director DONALD W. UPSON, Minority Staff Director EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE TCM LANTOS,California,Chairman BARNE's FRANK, Massachusetts DONALD E. "BUZ" LUKENS, Ohio MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California JON L. KYL, Arizona TED WEISS, New York CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut ROBERT E. WISE, JR.,WestVirginia Ex OFFICIO JOHN CONYERS, Ja., Michigan FRANK HORTON, New York STUART E. WEISBERG,Staff Mrector and Counsel Joy SmoNsoN, Professional Staff Member ANDREA NEISON, Professional Staff Member KAY KING, Professional Stuff Member JUNE LIVINGSTON, Clerk JEVF ALBRECHT, Minority Professional Stuff 3 CONTENTS Hearing held on: Page March 16, 1990 1 June 8, 1990 161 Statement of: Bentzman, Joyce 42 Black David, president, Domino's Pizza, Inc 216 Boutros, Suzanne, mother of Jesse Colson 27 Brooks, William C., Assistant Secretary of Labor forEmployment Stand- ards, accompanied by Gerald F. Scannell, AssistantSecretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health; andRobert P. Davis, Solicitor of the Department of Labor .59, 297 Curley, Joseph, W%it Pittston, PA 199 Deal, David, senior vice president, Little CaesarEnterprises, Inc . 241 Ferrell, Donald R., president, Donald R. Ferrell Associates,Dallas, TX 277 Frazier, Franklin, Director of Education and EmploymentIssues, Human Resources Division, General Accounting Office 129 Garcia, Marshall, vice president, Retail,Wholesale, and Department Store Workers Union, accom anied by Bob McFeely 45 Garvey, Matthew, accompanied by his mother,Valerie Tyra 40 Gibbons, Barry J., chief executive officer, Burger KingCorp 203 Golodner, Linda, chairwoman, Coalition un Child Labor 142 Ha Anett, Thomas F., commissioner, New York StateDepartment of Labor, accompanied by Richard Polsinello, division oflabor standards 98 Hucorne, Claude and Jackie, parents of Michael, EastStroudsburg, PA 202 Landrigan, Philip, M.D., American Acadamy of Pediatrics 116 Lantos, Hon. Tom, a Representative in Congress fromthe State of Cah- foroia, and chaianan, Employment and HousingSubcommitte: Opening statement 1 Locatelli, Brian, student, Clifton Park, NY 187 Lynch, Donna, high school teacher, Clifton Park, NY 166 Pease, Hon. Donald J., a Representative in Congress fromthe State of Ohio 3 Randolph, Chris, student, Clifton Park, NY 180 Shirk, Arthur, president, Rigidply Rafters, Richland, PA 285 &lumen Hon. Charles H., a Representative in Congressfrom the State of New York 19 Stein, Stanley R., senior vice president, McDonald'sCorp 222 Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by: Black, David, president, Domino's Pizza, Inc.: Preparedstatement 218-221 Boutros, Suzanne, mother of Jesse Colson: Prepared statement 31-39 Brooks, William C., Assistant Secretary of Labor forEmployment Stand- ards: Prepared statement 63-73, 301-309 Deal, David, senior vice r resident, Little CaesarEnterprises, Inc.: Pre- pared statement 244-254 Ferrell, Donald R., president, Donald R. FerrellAssociates, Dallas, TX: Checks issued to 10 year olds 288-291 Prepared statement 280-284 Frazier, Franklin, Director of Education and EmploymentIssues, Human Resources Division, General Accounting Office: Preparedstatement 120-139 Gibbons, Barry J., chief executive officer, Burger KingCorp : Prepe-ifd statement 16-215 Golodner, Linda, chairwoman, Coalition on Child Labor.Prepared ..._...,- meni 147-158 Hartnett, Thomas F., commissioner, New YorkState Department of Labor: Prepared statement 105-115 IV Page Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record byContinued Landrigan, Philip, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics: Prepared statement 120-128 Lynch, Donna, high school teacher, Clifton Park, NY: Prepared statemen1.69-179 Pease, 'Ion. Mnald J., a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio: Prepared statement 846 Randolph, Chris, student, Clifton Park, NY: Prepared statement 1.83-186 Schumer, Hon. Charles H., a Representative in Congress from tlie State of New York: Prepared statement 22-24 Stein, Stanley R., senior vice president, McDonald's Corp.: Trepared state- ment 222-240 APPENDIX Material submitted for the record 313 t) CHILDREN AT RISK IN THEWORKPLACE I. FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1990 HOUSE :31? REPRESENTATIVES, EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ONGOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, DC The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at9:40 a.m., in room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. TomLantos (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Tom Lantos, Robert E.Wise, Jr., and Christopher Shays. Also present: Stuart Weisberg, staff director andcounsel; Joy Si- monson, professional staffmember; June Livingston, Ilerk; and Jeff Albrecht, minority professiunal staff, Committee onGovernment Operatiezo. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN LANTOS Mr. LANTOS. The Subcommittee on Employment andHousing will please come to order. The subcommittee turns today to a subject which maysound old to some, yet is all too current. Theexploitation of children and teenagers in the workplace continues and is increasing as weenter the last decade of the 20th century. Just this past week, the Department of Laborcharged Burger King, the [mond largest fast food chain in the country,with violat- ing child labor laws at some of its 800 company ownedrestaurants. This gives new meaning to Burger King's heavilypromoted "Kids Club Meals." Until this action by the LaborDlepartment many people thought the biggest risk at Burger King waseating the french toast sticks. [Laughter.] The fact that such a large employer of young peoplehas alleged- ly been violating child protection laws in manyStates over many years by working 14 and 15 yearolds more hours