MAJOR SHIFT
14-year-olds to pull overnight shifts as US state moves to roll back child labor laws & combat ‘dirt cheap’ migrant work
The governor had a stern take on the new bill
CHILDREN as young as 14 years old could be working overnight shifts under a new plan to roll back child labor laws.
The proposal seeks to remove limits on how late teens can be at work and the number of hours they can clock each week.
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In Florida, 16- and 17-year-olds are currently prohibited from working before 6:30 am and after 11 pm on school days.
They are also barred from working more than 30 hours a week during the school year.
A new proposal would remove all of those restrictions - including the requirement that teens get a meal break, the Miami Herald reported.
Governor Ron DeSantis supports the measure and argues it’s a way to address what he calls "dirt cheap" labor from illegal immigrants.
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"Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when teenagers used to work at these resorts? College students should be able to do this stuff,” DeSantis said.
In addition to allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work past 11 pm on school nights, it would also remove restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds who are home-schooled or attend virtual school.
Under the new bill, teens could work without limits on hours except in hazardous jobs like meatpacking and roofing.
Supporters of the proposal, including the conservative group Foundation for Government Accountability, argue working part-time jobs helps teens learn important life skills.
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But the plan has also sparked concern about the teens' safety and well-being.
Experts worry longer working hours could hurt their education with some saying it’s more about cheap labor than helping kids.
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Nina Mast, an analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, said the bill risks pushing low-income teens and those without legal status into unsafe working conditions.
Florida’s child labor laws already go beyond federal standards but the new bill would bring the state closer to those national guidelines.
The proposal also aims to ease employment regulations for younger teens if they have graduated high school, hold a GED, or are home-schooled.
In recent years, violations of child labor laws in Florida have been on the rise.
In 2023, there were 209 violations, a significant jump from a few years earlier.
Despite existing labor laws, companies across the US have employed migrant children in hazardous jobs.
How does the US visa system work?
The US currently offers a range of visas for foreigners who want to live and work in the country, each with its own set of requirements and limitations.
Broadly, visas fall into two categories: non-immigrant visas, which are temporary and typically issued for work, study, or tourism, and immigrant visas, which provide a pathway to permanent residency (a Green Card).
For those seeking long-term residency, the Green Card application process can be rigorous and time-consuming, often taking years.
Some applicants obtain Green Cards through family sponsorship, employer sponsorship, or humanitarian programs such as refugee or asylum status.
Others may qualify through investment-based programs like the EB-5 visa, which allows individuals to apply for permanent residency if they invest a significant amount of money in a US business and create jobs.
Nonimmigrant visas, on the other hand, include work-based visas such as the H-1B for skilled workers, L-1 for intra-company transfers, and O-1 for individuals with extraordinary abilities.
Many of these visas have strict eligibility criteria and annual caps, making them highly competitive.
The complexity and length of the US immigration process mean that many foreign nationals face long wait times and significant legal hurdles before securing the right to live and work in the country permanently.
In January, Perdue Farms and JBS settled for $8 million after the Department of Labor uncovered their use of migrant child labor in US slaughterhouses.
Alexis Tsoukalas, a labor expert at the Florida Policy Institute, criticized the Florida bill, calling it short-sighted and insisting it fails to consider long-term impacts.
Tsoukalas said research showed children working more than 20 hours a week are at higher risk of dropping out of high school or struggling academically.
Florida lawmakers say the measure will help fill workforce gaps caused by a shortage of workers as more companies struggle to hire amid immigration issues.
"What’s wrong with expecting our young people to be working part-time now?" DeSantis said.
"I mean, that’s how it used to be when I was growing up."
But others insist it’s not the answer to a labor shortage.
"Let’s not look to our students to fix the problem that President Donald Trump and the Republicans have caused," said Senaor Shevrin Jones, a Democrat from West Park, hinting at mass deportations of illegal immigrants under the new Trump administration.
Labor experts argue the focus should be on fixing the immigration system rather than overworking minors.
Florida’s bill is similar to one proposed last year, which was sponsored by Representative Linda Chaney, a Republican representing St. Pete Beach.
That proposal failed amid public outcry over its potential effects on students' health and education.
The new bill is sponsored by Senator Jay Collins, who has not commented publicly on the proposal.
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It was slated for discussion by the legislature on Tuesday morning.
If passed, the legislation could have implications for workers across the country.
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