Dear John,

It’s been 85 years since the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was passed, outlawing the most exploitative forms of child labor in the United States.

Historically, children often had to work under very dangerous conditions in coal mines, glass factories, and machine shops. They developed black lung disease, became sick from toxic fumes, lost limbs or fingers, or were even killed in workplace accidents.

As if these dangers weren’t bad enough, in nearly every case, child labor also cuts children off from adequate schooling and health care, severely limiting their long-term life prospects.

Now, special interest groups representing major corporations want to bring child labor back. Worse yet, they’re having some success.

Legislation recently signed into law by Iowa governor Kim Reynolds dramatically extends the hours children are allowed to work, and places them on the most dangerous worksites, such as demolition and construction sites, meatpacking and Pepsi bottling plants.

We must end the cynical exploitation of children for corporate greed. Sign the petition now to urge President Biden to stand up against the abuses of child labor.

An analysis by the US Department of Labor (DOL) found many provisions in the Iowa law that are directly forbidden by federal standards, especially concerning 14- and 15-year olds. Federal law prohibits minors from working in meat freezers or industrial laundries, or working up to 6 hours per day, or until 9 p.m. when school is in session. The new Iowa law runs roughshod over all these protections.

And it’s not only in red states. The Koch brothers’ “Americans for Prosperity” is among the many pro-business groups across the country that have spent millions of dollars to lobby for the rollback of child labor laws -- begging the question, who exactly prospers here?

Other business groups that have chimed in include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Restaurant Association, all putting corporate greed ahead of protecting children’s best interests.

In addition to setting a nationwide minimum wage and giving us the five-day work week, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ushered in a progressive era of workplace reform when it set the age to enter the workforce at 16.

Sign the petition now and urge President Biden to stay true to the forward-looking nature of this historic legislation.

Thank you for taking seriously our obligation to nurture, teach, and keep our nation’s children safe from exploitation.

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action