Republicans talk a big game about “protecting children“ when it comes to banning books, gatekeeping libraries, and checking what's in little girls' pants before they play sports—but when it comes to protecting children from actual danger and exploitation, they start singing a different tune right quick.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) was a major win for the labor movement, laying down rules about minimum ages and maximum hours for workers under the age of 18, and outlawing child laborers entirely in certain dangerous jobs like logging, meat-packing, roofing, and mining.
Republicans and their billionaire donors think kids make a good source of cheap, disposable labor–and they have the gall to frame it as looking out for the interests of kids who may want to be endangered.
The creators of Project 2025 want to take us back to those dark days when children could be exploited for profit: when minors could be used as miners.
Some young adults show an interest in inherently dangerous jobs. […] young adults should be allowed to learn and work in more dangerous occupations.
DOL should amend its hazard-order regulations to permit teenage workers access to work in regulated jobs […].
![A set of bar graphs depicting the effects of overtime on a worker's paycheck. At the top, a snippet from Project 2025 reads: "Attention: Republican Agenda. Specifically, employers...should be able to set a two or four week period over which to calculate overtime. This...would not require the employer to pay [employees] more for that same total number of hours of work during the entire period."
Underneath on the left is a set of green bars depicting Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4.
In Week One, there is a darker shaded section pointing out that the worker has worked more than 40 hours and is eligible for overtime.
Week 2 is a little less than 40 hours, and the last two weeks are normal (40 hours).
At the bottom of this set of bars, a summary reads: "You're paid overtime for EVERY week over time, regardless of other weeks."
On the right, a set of red bar graphs depicting Week 1 through 4. In Week 1, the employee has clearly worked more than 40 hours based on the long bar, but there is no overtime shading.
Week 2 is less than 40, and Week 3 and 4 are both 40.
At the bottom of this set of bars, a summary reads: "Your employer will AVERAGE weeks together...and you won't get paid."
A Republican win in November means: Same hours. No overtime.
Learn more at Project 2025 Truth dot com](http://images.ctfassets.net/ud0fpafebkep/dfWezS2sNCp0RckQO0Qto/ac92619956f0630189e675554b35d053/image-8.png)
