By Laura Strickler—
NBC News
Immigrant minors as young as 14 were caught working illegally alongside high-risk heavy machinery at a Tennessee factory that makes parts for lawn mowers, which are then sold by companies like John Deere and others, according to Labor Department officials.
The company,
Tuff Torq
, was fined almost $300,000 for hiring 10 minors.
It was also forced to allocate $1.5 million to help children who were illegally employed, according to an agreement with the federal government.
Ryan Pott, a lawyer for the Japanese company Yanmar, the majority owner of Tuff Torq, acknowledged the violations to NBC News.
“The Department (of Labor) will not tolerate companies making profits at the expense of children illegally employed in dangerous jobs,” said Seema Nanda, legal director of the federal agency.
“Tuff Torq
has agreed to return the profits, which will be used for the benefit of minors
.
“This is a clear message: putting children at risk in the workplace is not only illegal, but it also carries significant financial consequences,” she added.
An image of Tuff Torq Corporation in Morristown, Tennessee.Google
The Department of Labor did not specify what work the minors did.
However, official Juan Coria indicated that what his investigation team found at the “very busy” Tuff Torq factory in Morristown was “shocking.”
Coria, who oversees a portion of the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division, described an environment that he said caused anxiety among his investigators, who witnessed minors as
young as 14 working late into the night
at the plant. , open 24 hours a day, amidst motor-driven equipment moving around the facility.
Pott, the lawyer for the Japanese company that is the majority owner of Tuff Torq, said the child workers were temporary and not directly hired by the company.
In addition, he claimed that they used false names and identities to obtain the jobs through an employment agency, and asserted that Tuff Torq is “in the process” of cutting ties with that company.
“Tuff Torq is dedicated to ensuring its products and services are produced under ethical conditions, with a strong emphasis on fair labor practices, and is further strengthening its relevant training and compliance programs,” added Pott.
Tuff Torq has 20 days to post signs at all plant entrances that say:
“Stop!
You must be at least 18 years old to enter and work in this building
,” explained the Department of Labor.
Nanda added that, with this agreement, the agency sends a message to the company and its entire community of suppliers and contractors.
“They will review their supply chain, meaning their contractors, their employing agencies, and make sure they follow these guidelines as well.”
[The company that exploited more than 100 children to clean slaughterhouses twice employed a minor with different names]
John Deere did not respond to a request for comment.
Department officials said their investigation into the company began almost a year ago, in the spring of 2023, and that they visited the facility on several occasions.
Officials declined to say what motivated the investigation.
The Labor Department has made it a priority to investigate instances of child labor since last spring amid a 152% increase in the number of children illegally employed since 2018, according to the agency's own figures.