[US] Kentucky shipping warehouse caught employing young children

In the US, a Kentucky warehouse specialising in international shipping was found to be breaking federal law by employing two children, aged 11 and 13, Courier Journal reports.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported the discovery and last week U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Win.IT America to stop employing children, pay more than $30,000 in penalties and hire a training consultant to help it with compliance for the next three years.

Win.IT America is the U.S. branch of WinIT Information Technology based in Shanghai, China, according to its website. The company reportedly operates a warehouse in Hebron, Kentucky. The parent company states that it operates nine fulfilment centres providing services to "cross-border e-commerce" sellers.

The Department of Labor said one of the children was found operating a forklift in the facility and the other had been tasked with picking orders in the warehouse.

Tremelle Howard - the agency's regional solicitor in Atlanta - said, “When we find child labor violations, the Department of Labor will not hesitate to use all enforcement tools available to compel compliance, including stopping the shipment of goods created and produced while the business was breaking the law to do so."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2022 it found child labour violations involving 3,876 children nationwide.

Source: Courier Journal

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In the US, a Kentucky warehouse specialising in international shipping was found to be breaking federal law by employing two children, aged 11 and 13, Courier Journal reports.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported the discovery and last week U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Win.IT America to stop employing children, pay more than $30,000 in penalties and hire a training consultant to help it with compliance for the next three years.

Win.IT America is the U.S. branch of WinIT Information Technology based in Shanghai, China, according to its website. The company reportedly operates a warehouse in Hebron, Kentucky. The parent company states that it operates nine fulfilment centres providing services to "cross-border e-commerce" sellers.

The Department of Labor said one of the children was found operating a forklift in the facility and the other had been tasked with picking orders in the warehouse.

Tremelle Howard - the agency's regional solicitor in Atlanta - said, “When we find child labor violations, the Department of Labor will not hesitate to use all enforcement tools available to compel compliance, including stopping the shipment of goods created and produced while the business was breaking the law to do so."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2022 it found child labour violations involving 3,876 children nationwide.

Source: Courier Journal

(Links and quotes via original reporting)