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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

ESA Press Release: Candy Distributor Assessed $9,250 for Child Labor Violations in Washington and Oregon [11/30/1998]

For more information call: 202-693-0023

The owner of an operation that uses children to peddle candy door-to-door has been accused of violating child labor laws.

Manssor Alam Mian -- doing business as American Teen Sales Project, American Youth Sales, American Team Sales, A.S.D. Northwest, Washington Youth Sales Project, The Candy Zone, A.S.D., Inc., and America West Sales and Marketing in Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore., -- was fined $9,250 by the U.S. Department of Labor, which has also gone to federal court in the state of Washington to prevent Mian from committing more child labor violations.

"Too many children are being abused by the youth-peddling industry," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "Many of these operations present themselves as charitable and civic-minded groups, but they are, in fact, for-profit businesses that prey on a young, vulnerable work force. We will enforce the law to protect children from being exploited."

The department's Wage and Hour Division found that Mian employed four minors between the ages of 12 and 14 in violation of the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Investigators caught up with Mian in South Bend, Ind., where they served him with the notice of the fine on Nov. 13.

The minors were transported from Vancouver, Wash., to Portland, Ore., to sell candy door to door. They also were required to load and unload merchandise. The Wage and Hour Division alleged that Mian violated the law by engaging in oppressive child labor in commerce. He must pay the fine or request a hearing to dispute it.

The federal investigation began after the Wage and Hour Division received information about Mian's operations from the Washington Sate Department of Labor and Industries in 1997. The Oregon State Bureau of Labor and Industries, which has also assessed civil money penalties against Mian, and the Washington State Attorney General's Office assisted with the investigation.

The Wage and Hour Division is launching an outreach effort in partnership with state departments of labor and the Child Labor Coalition to educate the public about the dangers of this industry and will take steps to improve and coordinate state and Federal enforcement efforts. Agency officials emphasize that legitimate, charitable sales operations by youth groups, schools or community organizations will not be affected.

Child labor regulations control the hours during which children under 16 can work and restrict employment in specific hazardous occupations for all youngsters under 18. For further information about federal child labor laws visit the Department of Labor's homepage at http://www.dol.gov and click on the "Teen Safety" icon.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.