Child Labor Uncovered in Iowa Meat Plant's Hazardous Night Shifts

A cleaning company, Qvest LLC, has been fined $171,000 after federal investigators discovered 11 children working illegal and dangerous overnight shifts at a meat processing plant in Iowa. The children were tasked with cleaning hazardous equipment at the Seaboard Triumph Foods facility, violating U.S. laws prohibiting minors from working in meat processing. This incident follows a similar case earlier this year involving another contractor at the same facility. Qvest is required to overhaul its employment policies and establish a whistleblower system. The U.S. Labor Department has reported a significant increase in child labor violations, with over 4,000 cases found in the past year.