Shapiro Administration Secures Record $7.8 Million Settlement with Walmart Over Child Labor Violations in Pennsylvania
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker announced a historic $7.8 million settlement with Walmart. This settlement addresses violations of Pennsylvania's Child Labor Act across Walmart stores in the Commonwealth. The agreement includes $7.68 million in administrative penalties, supplementing $142,785 in fines previously paid. This combined total represents the largest Child Labor Act settlement in Pennsylvania's history and one of the largest ever secured by a state labor enforcement agency in the U.S. The L&I's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (BLLC) initiated investigations in February 2025 after receiving referrals from the Department's Bureau of Workers' Compensation regarding minors injured while working at Walmart. Ten audits conducted at eight Walmart locations revealed an average of 65 Child Labor Act violations per audit. The settlement also incorporates compliance measures to prevent future violations, including an amplified penalty of d...