The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. It must also set aside $1.5 million to help the immigrant minors who were illegally employed.

Immigrant children as young as 14 were found working illegally amid dangerous heavy equipment at a Tennessee firm that makes parts for lawn mowers sold by John Deere and other companies, according to Labor Department officials.

The company, Tuff Torq, was fined nearly $300,000 for hiring 10 children. As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed. Ryan Pott, general counsel for Tuff Torq’s majority owner, the Japanese firm Yanmar, acknowledged the violations to NBC News.

  • dylanmorgan
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    3 months ago

    That’s the “transition to worker ownership” part. IANAL but I think that the government taking it over might be a necessary intermediate step if you’re compelling transition to a co-op.

    • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      A cool law would be something like “first right to sale” where if a company gets sold or goes public the employees must be given the right to purchase as much % or as many shares at least one penny cheaper than the buyer or banks who are distributing the IPO.

      People don’t have a lot of extra money, so its just a first step to shifting the means of production to employees. But it’s a good first step in my opinion.