Picture this: a young teenager, barely old enough to drive, working all through the night at a low-paid job, only to face a full day of school in the morning.
This isn't a hypothetical; it's the future Florida lawmakers are considering for our children with bill S.B. 918.Sign the petition to demand that Florida lawmakers vote 'no' on legislation to loosen child labor protections!State legislators want to allow kids
as young as 14 years old to work overnight shifts, including on school nights. Why? Because employers don't have enough workers now that the Trump administration's terrifying and draconian mass deportations are underway.
We know
exactly which children will pay the price. It won't be the children of the wealthy. It will be
the kids from struggling families, who are already facing immense economic challenges. These are the children whose
futures will be sacrificed for profit. While the privileged sleep soundly, these kids face grueling hours and lost education. Sleep-deprived, overworked, and robbed of their education, they will be
trapped in a cycle of poverty. S.B. 918 would also eliminate previous guarantees that said 16- and 17-year-olds had to have mandatory meal breaks.
Only true villains would want to remove meal breaks for kids, or put impoverished children in an even worse situation by allowing them to work overnight.Children are already some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and child labor hurts them in a variety of ways. That includes serious impacts on their schooling. Working reduces the number of hours at their disposal to study, complete homework, and review course material. It also affects their sleep and overall energy, leading to poor concentration and focus at school. As a result, child labor can
lock the next generation of family members into further cycles of poverty and disempowerment.
Is this how we value our children? By denying them rest, education, and even meal breaks? This is not just a policy; it's a moral failing. Sign the petition to demand that Florida lawmakers protect our children by rejecting S.B. 918!