Some want to change Child Labor Laws

MADISON – The worker shortage in Wisconsin has some wanting to change child labor laws.  The Wisconsin’s Senate approved a bill that would allow 14 and 15-year-olds to work until 11 p.m. on some days — much later than current laws allow. Wisconsin currently sticks to federal child-labor laws, which stipulate that people under the age of 16 can only work between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day, and between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for the rest of the year.  The proposed bill would allow this group to instead work from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on days before a school day, and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. when the next day isn’t a school day.  The bill would keep in place federal rules limiting teens to three hours of work on a school day, eight hours on non-school days, and six days of work a week.  The bill has been sent to the Wisconsin Assembly for approval.  Supporters of the bill say it could help plug the state’s labor shortage.