Modern School: Exploit Kids! They’re Even Cheaper Than Non-Union Adults!

Modern School: Exploit Kids! They’re Even Cheaper Than Non-Union Adults!

Exploit Kids! They’re Even Cheaper Than Non-Union Adults!

by Michael Dunn

In February I wrote about how Missouri was gutting child labor protections. Now Maine is attempting the same. According to Democracy Now! Republican lawmakers are trying to roll back Maine’s child labor laws with two new bills that would allow bosses to pay anyone under the age of 20 a full $2.25 per hour less than their minimum wage (for their first 180 days on the job), and it would allow teenagers to work an hour longer on a school days. The Huffington Post said that Bill LD 516 would allow 16 and 17-year olds to work until 11:00 pm on school nights (currently they are only allowed to work until 10:00), while LD 1346 would allow them to work up to 4 hours per day on school days.

In related news, Maine’s Tea Party Gov. Paul LePage removed a mural depicting Maine’s labor history from the state's Labor Department building. Working In These Times reported that he also ordered the renaming of conference rooms that had been named for labor leaders,