NCL releases the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012 Report – National Consumers League

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June 7, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC –With the school year winding down, many teenagers are in search of that increasingly hard-to-find summer job. The nation’s oldest consumer organization is warning teens and their parents to exercise caution in choosing summer jobs: every day in the United States about 400 teens are hurt on the job; every eleven days, a teen is killed at work.

In the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2012, a new report on teen worker safety released by the National Consumers League (NCL), the consumer group is reminding teen jobseekers that some jobs are more dangerous than others and providing practical advice for teens and their parents on how to stay safe on the job.

“Our tough job market may lead young people who need jobs to take ones that are unsafe,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s Director for Social Responsibility and Fair Labor Standards. Since 2000, the percentage of working teens has fallen 40 percent—in part because the federal government has cut back on funding for youth programs and in part because of the global economic recession. The weakening of child labor laws in some states, and the withdrawal of proposed federal safety protections for children who work in agriculture, also mean that children may not be as safe in the coming year.

“Teens just entering the job market may not think that their job could kill them, but for 34 children and teenagers last year, it did.” said Maki. “Two 14-year-old girls detasseling corn last year in Illinois were electrocuted by irrigation equipment in a saturated field. A six-year-old died as he helped at his father’s landscaping business, feeding a branch into a woodchipper and instantly pulled in to his death,” said Maki. Thousands of teen workers are also injured. Two 17-year-olds in Oklahoma became trapped in grain augur last summer, losing a leg each—an example of the traumatic injuries that can occur.

NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens in 2012: (full report here)

  • Agriculture: Harvesting Crops and Using Machinery
  • Construction and Height Work
  • Traveling Youth Sales Crews
  • Outside Helper: Landscaping, Groundskeeping, and Lawn Service
  • Driver/Operator: Forklifts, Tractors, and ATV’s

One survey cited in the report found that more 10 percent of teenagers had been physically assaulted on the job and another 10 percent said they had been sexually harassed. The report also details dangers associated with work-related driving, meatpacking, and jobs in restaurants and retail stores.

“The National Consumers League issues our Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens report to remind teens and their parents to choose summer jobs wisely,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “We want teens to have a safe and productive work experience. The report provides valuable tips and suggestions to ensure that parents can help children protect themselves on the job and help teens be proactive about their own safety.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL calls out American Crystal Sugar Company for inconsistencies regarding worker welfare – National Consumers League

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June 6, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, the oldest consumer advocacy organization in the country, sent a letter to the American Crystal Sugar Company today expressing disappointment with the company’s prolonged lockout of 1,300 union employees.

“We are perplexed at the continued actions of the American Crystal Sugar Company,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director. The sugar industry supports industry-wide price supports and other subsides that they claim help create and maintain American jobs. This program costs American consumers an estimated $3.5 billion each year. NCL pointed out the inconsistencies in American Crystal’s position. “They profess their commitment to creating American jobs while at the same time locking out workers, all the while enjoying the largesse of consumer funded sugar subsidies.”

“Sugar growers have long justified the continued existence of the U.S. sugar program by pointing to their role as job creators,” said Greenberg. “We find this argument specious in light of American Crystal’s prolonged lockout of over 1,300 workers.” For nine months, since August 2011, the American Crystal Sugar Company, a sugar-beet processing company headquartered in Moorhead, Minnesota, has locked out union employees from their jobs.

“American Crystal should illustrate its commitment to creating and maintaining American jobs by engaging in good faith negotiations with its workers,” said Greenberg. “It is also time for the American government to stop subsidizing a profitable industry that treats American workers so poorly.”

Read Greenberg’s letter here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Sweet victory for consumer advocates: FDA denies Corn Refiners’ petition for High Fructose Corn Syrup name change – National Consumers League

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June 1, 2012

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Consumer advocacy organizations today welcomed the decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reject a bid by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) to change the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) to “corn sugar.”

“This is an important victory as it upholds the principle of ‘truth in labeling’ for consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League (NCL). “We applaud the FDA for acting as the ‘cop on the beat’ to ensure consumers aren’t misled by changing the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup to something it is not.”

The groups—NCL, Consumers Union (CU), Consumer Federation of America (CFA), and Shape Up America! (SUA)—signed a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg in April of this year asking that the agency reject the CRA’s proposed name change.

The consumer letter called on the agency to “promptly deny” the CRA petition to change the name of HFCS and noted that the FDA had received nearly 5,000 comments submitted from the general public opposing the name change, at a ratio of 100:1  and urged the agency to act quickly because “FDA’s failure to promptly deny the CRA petition allows the trade association to continue to run deceptive marketing campaigns calling HFCS ‘corn sugar’ and confuses consumers who wish to avoid the ingredient.”

FDA rejected the CRA petition in a letter to the trade association made public yesterday stating that “we conclude that your petition does not provide sufficient grounds for the agency to authorize ‘corn sugar’ as an alternate common or usual name for HFCS.”

The FDA letter further stated, “The use of the term ‘sugar’ to describe HFCS, a product that is a syrup, would not accurately identify or describe the basic nature of the food or its characterizing properties. As such, using the term ’sugar’ would not be consistent with the general principles governing common or usual names.”

CRA’s petition, filed in 2010, asked the FDA to do several things, including amend the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of HFCS to designate “corn sugar” as an alternate name for the product.

“We agree with the agency’s assessment that changing the name of HFCS to ‘corn sugar’ would not accurately reflect the product’s composition and would mislead consumers,” said Urvashi Rangan, Director of Consumer Safety and Sustainability at Consumers Union. “Traditional sugar and HFCS are distinct and very different products.”

“Thousands of consumers wrote to the FDA urging the agency to deny the petition,” said Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at Consumer Federation of America. “FDA’s decision preserves information on the ingredient label that consumers want to know.”

“Honest labeling is an essential part of reducing diet-related illnesses and diseases,” added Barbara J. Moore, President and CEO of Shape Up America! “We congratulate FDA for making a decision that serves to protect consumers.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL files formal complaints with USDA about modernization act: bad news for consumers and workers – National Consumers League

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May 29, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Today the National Consumers League (NCL), whose mission is to promote the interests of both workers and consumers, filed formal comments with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the agency’s proposed rule “Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection.”

In its comments, NCL expressed serious concerns over the proposed changes. Today, USDA officials inspect each bird that is slaughtered, checking for visible defects that could indicate food safety concerns. The agency’s proposed rules would alter this system, privatizing some functions and increasing line speeds to up to 175 birds per minute.

“We are concerned about several aspects of this proposal,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “First, that faster line speeds will result in decreased safety, for both food safety and worker safety.” One major concern is that the proposed rule does not mandate any training for plant employees. “While the agency has indicated it will issue guidance on training, the lack of standards for training could well result in uneven implementation and inconsistent levels of safety,” said Greenberg.

“With line speeds approaching an astonishing 200 birds per minute, we are also concerned about the safety of men and women working on the line, slaughtering and inspecting these birds,” Greenberg added. “Already at current line speeds, close to sixty percent of workers suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome. Increased line speeds will undoubtedly lead to even higher rates of injuries.”

“Because of our strong reservations over both the worker and food safety implications of this proposed rule, we urge the agency to withdraw the proposed rule,” said Greenberg. The National Consumers League joins other consumer groups, several unions and the National Council of La Raza in opposing the proposed rule and asking that it be withdrawn.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National medication adherence campaign marks first anniversary – National Consumers League

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May 17, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the United States Surgeon General, and health care allies are celebrating the first anniversary of the national medication adherence campaign, Script Your Future, launched in May of 2011. The Script Your Future campaign addresses the need for tools and resources to support improved medication adherence across the country and to open dialogue between health care professionals and patients about the health consequences of non-adherence.

Poor medication adherence is a $290 billion problem annually, with three out of four Americans reporting that they do not always take their medication as directed, and causing more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and nearly 125,000 deaths in the United States each year.

At an event in Washington, DC today, the National Consumers League is convening the more than 100 Committed Partners of the campaign to celebrate the reach of the first year, honor Partners’ ongoing support for the Script Your Future campaign, and call for renewed commitment to expanding the campaign’s efforts. Rear Admiral Scott Giberson, Chief of the U.S. Public Health Service Pharmacy Category and Assistant Surgeon General, will represent U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, who will congratulate campaign staff and supporters for their successes via pre-recorded video greeting.

To date, through its dynamic Web site, public service announcements, materials distributed directly to consumers and health care providers across the country, social media communities, text message alert services, local field organizers on the ground in six regional target markets, and its Student Pharmacist Challenge, the Script Your Future campaign has seen more than 300 million media impression and interfaced directly with tens of thousands of health care professionals and patients, many of whom have taken the pledge to take their medicines as directed at www.ScriptYourFuture.org.

“Our national challenge is to prevent poor health outcomes and to become a healthy and fit nation. One way is for the health care community and patients to come together to address the serious issue of medication non-adherence,” said Dr. Benjamin. “As a family physician, I know that conversations between clinicians and their patients are key to patients understanding why taking their medication correctly is so important, particularly in chronic health conditions such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure. The tools offered through NCL’s Script Your Future campaign empower patients to talk with their health care teams about their medication questions and concerns. “

“Patients often have understandable reasons for not taking their medicine as directed, from concerns about side effects to the out-of-pocket costs of prescriptions to difficulty finding time to call or visit the doctor to get a prescription renewed, but the more a patient understands the impact medication has on their health, the more likely their adherence will improve. Script Your Future is working in communities across the country to encourage more conversations about the health consequences of non-adherence and to provide patients and their health care professionals with tools and resources to help improve adherence among patients with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma,” said Rebecca Burkholder, Vice President of Health Policy for the NCL.

Script Your Future has brought together stakeholders in health care advocacy, business, and government to help health care professionals strategize about better communication with patients and to offer practical tools for patients themselves to help them better adhere to their medication. The campaign has focused its efforts both nationally and in six regional target markets (Baltimore, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Providence, Raleigh, and Sacramento), where it is piloting interventions, outreach activities, research and advertising.

Script Your Future tools include free text message reminders, sample questions for patients to ask health care practitioners, medication lists, condition management sheets, and fact sheets on common chronic conditions. All of these materials can be found on the campaign website, www.ScriptYourFuture.org.

The Script Your Future wallet card, which provides a medication list, and questions for patients to ask a pharmacist or doctor about their medication, has proved popular with more than a quarter of a million disseminated to consumers to date.

“We give Script Your Future wallet cards to everybody we sit down with, every time we conduct a medication review. They’re perfectly convenient, simple to use and such a great tool to help many of our patients begin making a conscious effort to not only take their medications as prescribed, but live the healthy lifestyle they need,” said Patrick Devereux, PharmD. FMS Pharmacy, Birmingham, AL.

In the next two years, Script Your Future will continue to build on the partnerships developed and extend the reach of the campaign, on the strength of its 100-plus partners, and the on-the-ground outreach of field organizers in target markets.

To learn more about Script Your Future, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org, or to get involved, contact Mimi Johnson at mimij@nclnet.org.

To view NCL’s digital report about year one of the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org/YearOne.

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Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information about NCL, please visit www.nclnet.org.

Hawaii teacher from ‘Iolani High School named 2012 LifeSmarts Coach of Year – National Consumers League

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May 17, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The Board of Directors of the National Consumers League has announced the outstanding teacher, student, and volunteer coordinator of the 2011-2012 season with its annual “Of the Year” awards. Coach James Rubasch, a math and personal finance teacher at ‘Iolani High School in Honolulu, HI, was named the 2012 Coach of the Year, nominated by his students for his enthusiastic support and motivation. A student from Texas and the Kansas State Coordinator took the other awards.

LifeSmarts is a program run by the Washington, DC-based NCL, the nation’s oldest consumer advocate. It competitively tests high school students’ knowledge of consumer awareness, with subjects including personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibility, technology, and the environment. The 2011-2012 LifeSmarts season recently came to a close with the national competition in Philadelphia, PA, in April, where the NCL Board of Directors honored deserving individuals for their exemplary work and commitment to the program.

In his third year coaching LifeSmarts teams from Hawaii, Rubasch was nominated by his students for pushing them to learn LifeSmarts materials both for the competition and for the knowledge itself and for his emphasis on encouraging good sportsmanship.

Rubasch’s belief in the program’s value is apparent: “Lifesmarts is valuable for all young people.  All of the categories have critical information that help young people understand the world around them,” he said. “I would like to see it expand to more schools in our state and across the country. It begins with the adults – because the kids love it.”

“James is one of those LifeSmarts coaches whose success in making it to the National Championship is clearly due to his enthusiasm for and dedication to the program – and the way he uses that to motivate his students,” said Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director.

2012 Coordinator of the Year: Angela Howdeshell, Kansas

Angela Howdeshell, with the Kansas Council on Economic Education, has been named the 2012 LifeSmarts Coordinator of the Year for her long-standing commitment to growing the program in her state. Howdeshell, who has been with LifeSmarts since 1999, has grown her program to be one of the states with the highest participation rate. Her annual state competition is an exciting event, and she adopted the Junior Varsity program when LifeSmarts launched it in 2007.

“We have now had students who have participated in LifeSmarts since 6th grade.  It has been fun seeing some of these students grown up and become great LifeSmarts fans,” said Howdeshell, who says her current goal is to expand the Kansas program to have a presence in each of the state’s 105 counties.

“Howdeshell’s state champion coach has credited her with being ‘the reason LifeSmarts is alive and well in her state,’” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “It’s people like Angela who enable NCL’s LifeSmarts program to successfully rear a generation of consumer-savvy teenagers who often outsmart their parents on issues related to avoiding fraud, credit and debt, and complicated health care decisions.”

2012 Student of the Year: Marissa Lozoya, FCCLA team

Marissa Lozoya, a junior from Friona High School in Friona, Texas, and captain of the national Family, Career and Community Leaders of America team, was selected as the 2012 Student of the Year at the National Championship in Philadelphia. Nominated by her coach as a leader on her team, in her FCCLA organization, and at her school, Lozoya was credited with organizing team practices, gathering research and study materials, and helping to spread the word about LifeSmarts to new audiences including her local school board and via workshops at an FCCLA leadership conference.

Lozoya says her three years participating in LifeSmarts has made her into the student she is today. Her determination and commitment to being successful in the competition has pushed her team towards success: “We decided as freshmen that we wanted to make it to Nationals. We finished second last year at the state contest and we were the runner-up in the FCCLA challenge,” said Lozoya. “We trained from the day school started until the day before we left for Philadelphia. We were happy that we qualified in the challenge.”

“Marissa stood out to judges as highly deserving of the 2012 Student of the Year award,” said Hertzberg. “She is a leader on her team, going above and beyond the role of captain. She has also been invited to join the LifeSmarts Student Advisory Board for the upcoming year, and we look forward to working with her and her coach Gayle Murdock, the FCCLA Advisor at Friona, in that capacity.”

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org , or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323. The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Consumer group asks FDA to halt ‘misleading’ nutrition ratings in grocery stores based on ‘secretive’ NuVal scoring system – National Consumers League

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May 10, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC— The nation’s oldest consumer group today filed a formal complaint with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a nutritional scoring system – used in 1,600 stores nationwide – that gives Doritos Tortilla Chips and Ghirardelli “Carmel Turtle Chocolate Brownie Mix” higher nutritional ratings than canned peaches or mandarin oranges.

“The NuVal rating system is fatally flawed and should be discarded,” said National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Its algorithmic formula – which is not transparent to consumers or the scientific community – results in snack chips, soft drinks, and desserts being given as high or higher nutritional scores than some canned fruits and vegetables. NuVal’s so-called nutritional ratings are a travesty that confuse, rather than enlighten, consumers. We need the FDA to step in and set industry-wide standards. Moreover, the FDA should not allow NuVal or any other flawed nutritional rating system to further confuse consumers who are trying to make healthy decisions for their families.”

The FDA wrote the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute in 2011 setting conditions for use of the trade associations’ “Facts up Front” labeling program. FDA, however, has not taken any public action in regards to NuVal, nor has it published any standard criteria for nutritional rating systems, resulting in a “Wild West” atmosphere that confuses consumers.

NCL’s letter to the FDA cites a myriad of mind-boggling NuVal scores; the higher the score, the more “nutritious” the product – according to NuVal:

  • Tostitos Light Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips made with Olestra (28)
  • Baked Lays Originals Potato Crisps (25)
  • Ghirardelli Caramel Turtle Chocolate Brownie Mix (22)
  • Raley’s Cut Green beans (22)
  • Chug Milk Shake Vanilla (21)
  • Doritos Tortilla Chips (20)
  • Diet Coke (15)
  • Edwards Singles Hot Fudge Brownie with Creamy Ice Cream (13)
  • Cracker Jack caramel coated popcorn (12)
  • Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies (10)
  • Raley’s Diced Pears in Light Syrup (10)
  • Dole Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup (7)
  • S&W Yellow Cling Peach Chunks in Light Syrup (7)

NCL’s concern is magnified by the fact that the NuVal system is in widespread use. “These misleading ratings in stores nationwide call out for a response from federal regulators. We have to prevent systems like NuVal from spreading misleading nutritional information to consumers. If we don’t, we’re letting down the very people who need us most for nutritional advice: the parents, the seniors and the average consumers trying to get the most nutritional value for their dollar,” said Greenberg.

Read NCL’s letter to FDA, including examples of NuVal scores here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL comments submitted to Office of Surgeon General on the national medication adherence challenge – National Consumers League

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May 7, 2012 

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Comments submitted by the National Consumers League to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) developed and is leading Script Your Future, the first campaign to raise awareness among consumers, family caregivers, and health care professionals (HCPs) about the importance of taking medications as directed. Because of the variety of factors contributing to poor adherence and the complexity of the issue, a comprehensive, integrated campaign with broad public and private stakeholder cooperation is needed to provide consistent messaging and support to the consumer and HCPs.

The three-year campaign, which launched in May 2011 with more than 100 Partners, focuses on patients affected by three of the most prevalent chronic conditions—diabetes, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease. The campaign includes a national communications initiative and targeted outreach in six pilot cities – Baltimore, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Providence, Raleigh, and Sacramento. 

To develop the campaign, NCL reviewed existing research and conducted a series of focus groups and interviews with consumers, HCPs, and family caregivers, to understand attitudes and beliefs about medication adherence, including reasons for poor adherence, and input on messages to promote adherence.

A common thread of communication resonated across patient types in the focus groups. Many patients do not understand their diseases or the consequences of not adhering to a medication regime, and may not recognize the benefits of their medications. Patients responded to the use of direct, factual language to detail the consequences of non-adherence, such as serious health complications and a restricted quality of life, as well as impact on family. While the reasons for non-adherence were varied – including the complexity of managing multiple medications, side effects, no discernible impact, and cost – realizing the consequences of non-adherence resonated with all patients.

Based on the research, Script Your Future is using direct language about the consequences of non-adherence, and provides practical tools and online resources that help patients and HCPs better communicate about ways to improve medication adherence. 

Periodic public opinion research both at the national and regional level is used to inform and evaluate the campaign. A national survey of 1302 adults and a survey of 1800 adults in the targeted cities conducted before the 2011 campaign launch found that:

  • Those who do not “always” adhere are less convinced of the importance of adherence and less likely to have had the consequences of not adhering fully explained.
  • Patients express a high willingness to ask questions and raise concerns about medicines with a HCP, but when asked directly, many admit communication is infrequent.
  • Patients view question lists, automatic refills, reduced co-pays, and pill boxes as the most useful tools to improve adherence

These survey findings confirm the campaign’s emphasis on communicating the consequences of poor adherence, promoting conversations between HCPs and patients, and providing practical tools to support adherence.

It is important that government continue to play an active part in the improvement of adherence, as this multi-faceted issue does not have a single organization “owning” the problem nor a single solution, thus requiring all stakeholders to come together and work collaboratively.

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BOSS ACT promises transparency for live event industry – National Consumers League

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May 4, 2012

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today released the following statement regarding U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell for his plans to protect consumers by reintroducing the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act (“BOSS ACT”). The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“Sunshine is the best antiseptic for an opaque industry where the lack of information has given rise to a variety of anti-consumer practices. The average consumer has mattered far too little for far too long to the powerful interests that control the live event industry. The BOSS ACT has a number of good provisions that empower the ticket-buying public.  Restrictive paperless ticketing, speculative ticket reselling, undisclosed ticket holdbacks, and ticket-buying ‘bots,’ are all issues that the BOSS ACT will address to the benefit of consumers. We applaud Congressman Pascrell for his continued leadership on this issue.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Child Labor Coalition: Withdrawal of Occupational Child Safety Rules Will Risk Children’s Lives on Farms – National Consumers League

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April 30, 2012

Contact: Reid Maki, (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The 28 members of the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) and the millions of Americans they represent warn that the Department of Labor’s recent withdrawal of occupational child safety rules for agriculture will needlessly endanger children who work for wages in agriculture.

“Agriculture is by far the most dangerous industry that large numbers of teens are allowed to work in,” said Sally Greenberg, Co-Chair of the Child Labor Coalition and the Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Nearly 100 kids are killed on farms each year. In 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12 of the 16 children under age 16 who suffered fatal occupational injuries worked in crop production. For agricultural workers age 15 to 17, the risk of fatal injury is four times the risk for young workers in other workplaces. The Department of Labor’s sensible recommendations–based on years of research indicating the jobs in which teen injuries and deaths occur–sought to protect these hired farmworkers. Unfortunately, the proposed rules fell victim to misinformation and exaggeration from the farm lobby.”

“The U.S. Labor Department has caved in to Big Agriculture and its allies in Congress to abandon the most vulnerable working children in America,” said Zama Coursen-Neff, Deputy Children’s Rights Director at CLC member Human Rights Watch. “Instead of protecting child farmworkers, the Labor Department will look the other way when children get crushed, suffocated, and poisoned on the job.”

“We are profoundly disappointed the Administration will not be pursuing the proposed protections for children employed in agriculture,” said David Strauss, Executive Director of CLC member the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP). “These were common sense protections that would have saved many children’s lives.”

CLC members warn that the withdrawal will mean that one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations–migrant farmworker children–will continue to be exposed to farm dangers that other child workers do not face. “Farm work for many children is not a vocation,” said Norma Flores Lopez, Director of the Children in the Fields Campaign at AFOP. “The children of farmworkers will continue to be put in jeopardy to harvest America’s food. The rules withdrawal will leave them exposed and unprotected.”

“Children’s advocates expect better from national leaders than caving to political pressure from special interests and their lobbyists, when the facts are crystal clear and children’s lives are on the line,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley. “Members of Congress who are committed to putting children’s lives ahead of politics should overrule this decision by demanding legislation, like the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (H.R. 2234), that increases protections for children working on farms.” 

“We owe it to our children to give them every opportunity to thrive, and to keep them out of harm’s way,” said Lorretta Johnson, Secretary Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers and Co-Chair of the CLC. “It is our responsibility to educate the whole child. This means looking after the wellbeing of our children in and out of the classroom. We can not afford to let political pressure keep us from fulfilling this responsibility.”

The CLC estimates that the withdrawal of hazardous work rules for agriculture will lead to the loss of 50 to 100 lives over the next decade. More than 150 advocacy groups, including numerous health and safety organizations, farmworker advocates, and labor unions, have endorsed the child safety rules (a list may be found at www.stopchildlabor.org).

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About the Child Labor Coalition

The Child Labor Coalition is comprised of 28 organizations, representing consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious and women’s groups. It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers. Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad. For more information, please call CLC Coordinator Reid Maki at (202) 207-2820 [reidm@nclnet.org].