Huffington Post, By Bruce Lesley

Keeping kids safe and free from harm should be common sense. However, last week the Department of Labor caved to opposition from big-money, corporate special interests andwithdrew a proposal that would have prevented nearly 27,000 debilitating injuries and 80 deaths annually for child farm laborers. The opposition, led by Big Agribusiness, gained traction bydistorting the truth about the rule’s intended outcome.

Contrary to the industry’s misinformation campaign, the proposed rule explicitly maintained the family farm exemption (Federal Register, Vol. 76, No. 171, Page 54836), so youth would have continued to do the full range of jobs on farms owned by their parents. But in settings where owners don’t have the same natural interest in their safety and well-being, children would have been protected from dangerous work involving heavy machinery, toxic pesticides, and grain storage facilities.

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