I grew up on a family farm. Cotton, wheat and cattle.
I was driving a tractor by the time I was 10. My grandmother taught me to hoe cotton by the time I was that age. We all worked.
It did not hurt me a bit. But the labor laws would not apply, we did not get paid but we helped the family make a living.
A TOTALLY different situation and you know it. You were helping out on the farm. You were not part of a slave labor. This farm should have been fined one million dollars as far as I am concerned. It is ridiculous to have children doing this type of work. These kids are forced to do this. I would guess if you refused that you would have gotten out of it, but you loved your grandparents so you helped out........TOTALLY DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
I should let my parents know that I was abused as a child! I wonder if I can collect any back pay? /s. I don’t remember getting paid for working in our garden, feeding cows, pigs and chickens. Abused, I tell ya!
The government says it hurts the kid’s backs to bend over and pick berries. I wonder if they care about the kids carrying book bags that give them back aches because the teachers give them so much homework?
My grandparents farmed wheat, peas, pinto beans, green beens, and the neighbor who owned 2000 acres paid $1 per crate, and we would work all day for about $5. Finally by age 9, I saved enough to buy a $26 TV (new), and a fishing pole from the local hardware store. Then by age 10 I was driving a combine, harvesting about 30 acres per day, or moving about 50 acres of irrigation pipe and paying payrol income taxes. I’ve never been on unemployment, or welfare, and picking berries was my first step to being a responsible taxpayer. This ‘government fine’ is an attack on American family values, and is completely outrageous.