Teen worker lost hand in meat grinder. Now, his boss owes $1,143 fine, officials say

While working at a Michigan meat processing plant, a teenage boy felt his hand get pulled into a meat grinder.

The accident, which happened about a week before Thanksgiving in 2019, cost the boy his right hand.

Now, over three years later, the owner of the meat processing company has pleaded guilty to illegally employing the boy, who officials say was 17 at the time.

As a result, the owner will pay costs and fines amounting to $1,143, according to an Aug. 8 news release from the Michigan attorney general.

The owner’s guilty plea came after the state’s Wage and Hour Division investigated the company, US Guys Processing, located in Ionia County.

The division said the owner violated the Youth Employment Standards Act by employing a minor in a dangerous profession. The owner is also accused of failing to ensure the boy obtained a work permit.

A representative for US Guys Processing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

When announcing the plea and fine, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called for the state legislature to increase the consequences associated with illegally employing minors.

“Our labor laws were written to protect children from dangerous workplaces; however, they lack the teeth needed to properly hold bad employers accountable for violations,” Nessel said in the release.

“This case highlights the need to strengthen these protections, as well as the consequences for violations,” Nessel said, “and I look forward to working with the legislature on this critical work to protect the state’s youth.”

The case comes as child labor protections are being rolled back in nearly a dozen states around the country, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

At the same time, child labor violations are increasing, the report found, citing Department of Labor data.

This story was originally published August 9, 2023 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Teen worker lost hand in meat grinder. Now, his boss owes $1,143 fine, officials say."