From the Des Moines Register and Associated Press/Houston Chronicle:

Experts from the Department of Labor told a U.S. Senate committee Monday that understaffing and legal loopholes make it hard for them to protect vulnerable people in the workplace. They say companies like Henry’s Turkey Service are seldom checked, and face few penalties even if they are caught abusing workers.

Henry’s Turkey Service is under federal and state investigation for allegedly exploiting dozens of men with intellectual disabilities who were working in a meat-processing plant in the little town of Atalissa, Iowa. The company has denied wrongdoing.

“For too long, we have been complacent about the potential for abuse and exploitation of people with disabilities, as well as other vulnerable populations, in the workplace,” said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who led the hearing. He called for re-examining wage rules for workers with disabilities, reviewing the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act and imposing stiffer fines for violators.

See also:

Information request holds up Atalissa probe, officials say — Des Moines Register

Earlier posts here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 10:29 am and is filed under Atalissa, abuse, criminal justice, employment/jobs, intellectual/developmental disabilities, neglect, politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post