The possibility of bringing back child labor should be out of the question. But in Iowa, it is now a real threat.

Iowa is considering loosening laws on child labor to combat the shortage of workers. The bill has already moved out of a subcommittee and continues to make its way through the state legislative process.

It is one problem that the state is considering loosening these laws. It is another problem that this is our solution to a worker shortage. The state should not be willing to put children in danger in lieu of improving conditions for workers.

The bill would include changes such as allowing 14-year-olds to work in freezers and meat coolers, laundry, and corn detasseling.

There is no doubt that labor is harmful to children. According to the National Library of Medicine, child labor “prevents the normal well-being including physical, intellectual, and emotional psychosocial development of children.”

Lawmakers argued that letting children work in these dangerous conditions will give them a chance to learn life lessons. While this bill is really about boosting the economy without having to treat workers better, a child does not have to do manual labor to learn important life lessons.

While supporters of the bill argue joining the workforce will give children experience that will prepare them for future careers, experts say the jobs offer skills that are not transferable, and the experience is trivial.

The bill could also lead to the loosening of more child labor laws. Peter Hird of the American Federation of Labor said in a Cedar Rapids Gazette Feb. 14 article, “We’re not that far away from dozens of children working in a factory assembling parts.”

Even if all of the law changes didn’t directly cause significant harm to children, it is absurd that the state is more willing to put children to work than they are to treat their current workers better. There are plenty of solutions to the current labor shortage that don’t require us to let teenagers work in meatpacking plants.

One solution is raising wages. Iowa’s minimum wage is just $7.25 an hour. This is a starvation wage and is not nearly enough for a worker to live on. A full-time employee in Iowa must make at least $15 an hour to be able to afford a “modest” two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent.

While some may want to blame the worker shortage on laziness or claim people just don’t want to work these days, they are mistaken. Workers simply want dignity — fair wages, good conditions, and respect from their employers.

Employers across the country ended their staff shortages simply by boosting starting pay. It’s not rocket science; people want money. Give it to them, and they will want to work for you.

Ultimately, Iowa lawmakers must reject this bill and examine the real causes of this labor shortage and pass bills that give the workers the respect and treatment they deserve.