Seaboard Triumph Foods terminated its contract with Fayette Janitorial Service after a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigation revealed that Fayette allegedly hired people under the age of 18 to conduct potentially hazardous duties at the Seaboard Triumph plant in Sioux City Iowa.
An investigation also led to the conclusion that Fayette also hired underage people to work at a Perdue Farms facility in Accomac, Virginia.
In a statement, Seaboard Triumph said it was “disturbed to learn” of the allegations against Fayette, a third-party service provider which began providing sanitation services at the Sioux City plant in September 2023.
“In response to these allegations, we have terminated all contracts with Fayette. Such practices of an outside vendor, if true, are in violation of our company’s policies and procedures, which hold the safety and care of our workers in the highest regard. We will continue to fully cooperate with the Department of Labor on this matter,” the Seaboard Triumph statement read.
The Fair Labor Standards Act bans children under the age of 18 from working in dangerous occupations, including most jobs in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing, rendering and packing establishments.
In its filing, the department alleged Fayette employed at least nine children at the Seaboard Triumph plant for its overnight sanitation shifts. Minors were allegedly used to clean dangerous kill floor equipment.
