Wal-Mart settles child labor cases News
Wal-Mart settles child labor cases

[JURIST] The US Department of Labor [official website] announced Saturday that retail giant Wal-Mart will pay $135,540 to settle 24 federal child labor law violations. The charges involve teenage workers who used hazardous equipment while working at Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas, Connecticut and New Hampshire. With few exceptions, current federal law [DOL backgrounder] prohibits any person under the age of 18 to operate hazardous machinery. As part of the settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to train managers to make sure further violations do not occur. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.