Fighting to end child labor
June 12 is World Day Against Child Labor. Right now, close to 1 in 10 children around the world are engaged in child labor. And the United States is no exception. Our lax labor laws allow kids as young as 12 to work in tobacco fields, where many contract acute nicotine poisoning. “We must protect all children from being subjected to the worst forms of labor, from becoming victims of human trafficking and from being forced into armed conflicts around the world,” says AFT Secretary-Treasurer Lorretta Johnson, who is co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition. “At the same time, we must help them to pursue an education and obtain proper healthcare, and we must address the poverty and economic inequality that too often drives children to work.” Read Johnson’s statement. (Child Labor Coalition photo.)
