An Atlantic contractor has pled guilty to 30 violations of Iowa child labor laws which were discovered after a serious accident last year. Iowa Labor Commissioner Byron Orton says the accident happened on a job involving the Dorsey Construction Company.A 17-year old putting shingles on a house in Cass County accidentally drove a three-and-a-half inch nail into his skull. The teen survived the accident. Orton says the investigation of the accident determined that company owner, Mike Dorsey, was letting minors do construction work and use dangerous machinery. Orton says that’s illegal in Iowa.Dorsey was given a 120-day suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay the teen’s medical costs. The state economist says a tight labor market has slowed the construction business. Orton says that could be part of the reason contractors might try to hire underage workers. He says contractors might also hire younger workers so they can pay them inferior wages. Orton says they investigate several cases of child labor law violations each year, but not all are prosecuted. Orton says the charges against the Atlantic company are a good reminder to businesses in the state to be aware of Iowa’s labor laws.
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