LA lawmakers vote to remove lunch breaks for child workers, cut unemployment benefits

[Edge-]

https://www.nola.com/news/politics/l...c7366107a.html

Lawmakers on a Louisiana House committee voted Thursday to repeal a law requiring employers to give child workers lunch breaks and to slash unemployment benefits — part of a Republican-backed push to roll back regulations on companies and reduce aid for injured and unemployed workers.

The House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations advanced the child labor bill, House Bill 156, along with HB119, which would slash from 26 to 20 weeks the amount of time for which people can receive unemployment benefit payments. A third bill the committee approved would change the way workers' compensation wages are calculated in ways that could limit benefits received by some injured workers.

The bills all advanced to the full House.

They are part of a Republican push to weaken labor unions and slash worker benefits in Louisiana — steps GOP lawmakers attributed in Thursday's hearing to newly elected Gov. Jeff Landry's directive to "reform" the business environment and remove bureaucratic red tape from employers.

All of the bills were harshly criticized by workers, labor unions and advocates who said they would harm laborers.

First-term state Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, who sponsors the child labor measure and owns Smoothie King franchises across the Deep South, said people have been too critical of his bill.

“The wording is ‘we’re here to harm children.’ Give me a break," he says. "These are young adults.”

Other Republican-controlled state Legislatures have similarly moved in recent years to weaken child labor regulations.

Republicans continue their assault on labor, specifically protections for child workers.

Who says that 16 year olds need lunch breaks? They can just go hungry, there probably won't be any issues with that. Working more than 5 hours straight shouldn't need a 20-30m lunch break.

And 6 additional weeks of unemployment benefits? We can't let those fat cat unemployed folks eat caviar and drink champagne on their $275/week maximum allowed in the estate.

And injured workers being fairly compensated for on the job injuries? Well that's financially risky for employers! Better act quick to limit their exposure and place more responsibility on the injured worker!

Republicans really, really hate working Americans, and they really hate anything that actually protects children from exploitation and abuse once they've left the womb.

[Sunseeker]

Wow, just straight up saying "we are here to cause harm" and their defense is that people think they're harming kids, but they are actually harming young adults.

Wow.

It amazes me that anyone thinks Republicans are the friend of the working American.

[Benggaul]

Between this and the ones I posted in the other thread we could probably start a Megathread on the GOP's intentional push for cruelty.

[rayvio]

Republicans. Making America a Dystopia. MAD

[Rasulis]

GOP businesses are too cheap to let "young adults" have one hour lunch break.

[Karreck]

Cruelty is the point.

[PACOX]

But why don't people want to work?????


These people already believe you have to catch hell to receive charity. You need to be humiliated or have to jump through hoops to receive. Now they want to go after people with jobs. They won't say it but they think you should be lucky enough to have a job and get paid.

If people want to think stupid shit, whatever. What's frustrating is that they have manipulated workers into going along with it. The second you shame someone for having a service job, for getting government help, for not wanting to do more than you ought to be asked at a job like, you're losing the class warfare game.

[Gestopft]

"...who sponsors the child labor measure and owns Smoothie King franchises across the Deep South..."

Genuinely curious: if we made it federally illegal for legislators at any level to write, sponsor, or vote for any bill that directly involved their own financial entanglements, what percentage of GoP legislation would disappear overnight?

[Paranoid Android]

The Republican party is a caricature of what you would want to make an evil political party look like as far as policy. It just hurts that people I guess have attitude of "not my child" and/or something, something gay and brown people bad.

[Flarelaine]

Seriously, these folks just need a moustache to twirl.

[Elder Millennial]

There are two types of people who would ever defend this shit.

1. Some fucking boomer who loves to rant about how "I worked for 5 dollars an hour since I was like 7" when in reality he was stacking shelves at the local Sears store for 4 hours a day twice a week, while being paid for what is like 23 dollars an hour when adjusted for inflation.

2. Some fucking "libertarian" chud who paid Elom for a blue checkmark on Xwtter, bought Truth Social stocks, has half his "net worth" in crypto, calls himself a "job creator" or "distruptor", but lives off of an allowance given to him by his boomer parents from 1.

[The Stormbringer]

Ah, so this is why they're trying to hide things and make what they do obfuscated, because they're hurting people and causing untold amounts of abuse and suffering. Good to know.

[Edge-]

Seriously, these folks just need a moustache to twirl.

Honestly I doubt most are disciplined enough to grow and groom their facial hair to meet the requirements for this.

[Lanrefni]

Republicans still making Captain Planet villains look like reasonable people,must be a day ending in Y.

[D3thray]

Before everyone gets too tired of beating the dead grey elephant Louisiana would merely be joining such GOP luminaries as Hawaii and Illinois in not protecting a 30 minute meal break for 16 and 17 year old workers. Actually seems more like the rule than the exception looking thru the list. Probably not a great move in my opinion but it’s hardly like they’re bucking a trend here either.

Also this bill hasn’t been voted on for passage despite the title in the OP. It merely made it out of committee.

[Edge-]

Before everyone gets too tired of beating the dead grey elephant Louisiana would merely be joining such GOP luminaries as Hawaii and Illinois in not protecting a 30 minute meal break for 16 and 17 year old workers. Actually seems more like the rule than the exception looking thru the list. Probably not a great move in my opinion but it’s hardly like they’re bucking a trend here either.

Also this bill hasn’t been voted on for passage despite the title in the OP. It merely made it out of committee.

Maybe it's just me, but if anyone works more than 5 consecutive hours they should have a lunch break.

If Hawaii or Illinois was just moving to do this, I'd similarly create threads about that, but those are already on the books.

Also it appears this also covers minors below 16 in Louisiana, unlike the Hawaii and Illinois laws.

Also also, big fan of agitating to have Hawaii and Illinois update those statutes to guarantee minors and adults lunch breaks after 5 hours of consecutive works. Again.

Is it a trend though? You cite two states but that's hardly a trend. I'm not familiar with all 50 states laws on this topic.

[D3thray]

Maybe it's just me, but if anyone works more than 5 consecutive hours they should have a lunch break.

If Hawaii or Illinois was just moving to do this, I'd similarly create threads about that, but those are already on the books.

Also it appears this also covers minors below 16 in Louisiana, unlike the Hawaii and Illinois laws.

Also also, big fan of agitating to have Hawaii and Illinois update those statutes to guarantee minors and adults lunch breaks after 5 hours of consecutive works. Again.

Is it a trend though? You cite two states but that's hardly a trend. I'm not familiar with all 50 states laws on this topic.

Found this https://www.postercompliance.com/blo...eals-by-state/ and no reason to doubt it if you wanna check yourself. Unfortunately only a minority of states red or blue with any kind of meal protections if you’re an adult. I personally opt out of mine but that should be my choice rather than the company in most circumstances.

[Edge-]

Found this https://www.postercompliance.com/blo...eals-by-state/ and no reason to doubt it if you wanna check yourself. Unfortunately only a minority of states red or blue with any kind of meal protections if you’re an adult. I personally opt out of mine but that should be my choice rather than the company in most circumstances.

Neat site, thanks. Glad to see Commiefornia out there looking out for workers (outside of a few industries like Hollywood actors, who do at least have a union to negotiate for those kinds of things), at least.

It's a shame to see so many states with so few worker protections for rest breaks or even meal breaks, and that LA seems to be joining many in lifting those protections/benefits. Breaks every 2-4 hours and lunch every 5+ should be expected - unless you agree otherwise with your boss. This just seems like extremely basic shit.

[D3thray]

Neat site, thanks. Glad to see Commiefornia out there looking out for workers (outside of a few industries like Hollywood actors, who do at least have a union to negotiate for those kinds of things), at least.

It's a shame to see so many states with so few worker protections for rest breaks or even meal breaks, and that LA seems to be joining many in lifting those protections/benefits. Breaks every 2-4 hours and lunch every 5+ should be expected - unless you agree otherwise with your boss. This just seems like extremely basic shit.

I mean, I work in healthcare, there’s never not something to do or downtime really. We’re certainly afforded breaks and mealtimes but rarely take the breaks. But I’m one of the crazies that prefer to work three 12 hour shifts a week and be done so take that with a grain of salt.

[Twdft]

Fun fact, here in Germany taking a 30min break if you work longer than 6 hours is actually mandated. As in it's not even a choice to take a break or not, you are both guaranteed and obligated.