Area Theaters Fined for Child Labor Violations

Crystal Lake Showplace and Gurnee Cinema were among the 27 move theaters nationwide found to be violating child labor laws in a US Labor Department investigation.

Marcus Theatre Corp. Regal Cinemas Inc. and Wehrenberg Inc. were assessed a total of $277,475 in penalties for allowing teens to perform hazardous jobs and work longer hours than allowed by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“The penalties imposed as a result of these violations should serve as a wake-up call to movie theatre owners and other employers,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, in a press release on March 2. “Businesses that employ minors are legally and ethically obligated to abide by child labor standards and ensure youth are protected on the job.”

Crystal Lake Showplace, 5000 W. Route 14, which is part of the Regal Theatre chain, was found in violation for allowing five minors to load and/or operate a compactor. Gurnee Cinema, 6144 Grand Ave., part of the Marcus Theatre chain, was found in violation for allowing three minors to load and/or operate a compactor.

The FLSA identifies 17 hazardous occupations prohibited for workers under the age of 18, which include operating and unloading scrap paper balers and paper box compactors, according to the press release.

Based on available data and research, the Secretary of Labor declared occupations involved in the operation of balers, compactors, and paper-products machines to be particularly hazardous for the employment of minors.

 Compactors come in many different shapes and sizes and operate in many different manners. The basic hazard is the crushing mechanism. If a person has a body part in the area while the machine is operating, there is a risk of serious injury or death from the crushing. There have been reports of compactors that have stopped operating due to a jam and the person uses an arm or leg to dislodge the jam but the machine automatically resumes crushing and traps the arm or leg.

The investigation involved a representative sampling of movie theaters, an industry in which child violation laws are systemic, according to Rhonda Burke, deputy director for public affair for the department of labor.

“They go in person and do employee interviews and interviews with management about what types of things youth workers are engaged in,” Burke said.

The companies involved have agreed to implement comprehensive internal compliance and training programs, as well as assisting in promoting industry wide-compliance, according to the press release. For example, Regal Cinemas is showing a child labor public service announcement on workplace safety at all 458 of its digital cinema locations in 39 states.

Regal Cinemas, based in Knoxville, Tenn., has paid $158,400 in civil money penalties for violating labor laws by allowing minors to operate trash compactors. Marcus Theatres has paid $93,995 in penalties for employing minors to load and operate trash compactors, operate motor vehicles and operate a dough mixer. The company also allowed minors under 16 perform baking and allowed them to work beyond hours permitted under the FLSA, according to the press release. 

St. Louis, Mo.-based Wehrenberg Inc. paid $25,080 for allowing minors to load and operate trash compactors, and to operate motor vehicles.

Marcus Theatres released a statement regarding the penalties:

“Marcus Theatres has always been dedicated to providing a safe work environment for all our associates. Marcus Theatres fully cooperated and worked very closely with the Department of Labor throughout its investigation and proactively took actions to address this situation before any violations were assessed. We have taken steps to prohibit all minors from loading trash into compactors, revised signs to better indicate safety policies and age requirements, reviewed Department of Labor regulations with our managers and associates, and enhanced our internal audit procedures to address issues raised by the Department of Labor. While there were no accidents or injuries associated with any of the violations assessed at our locations, Marcus Theatres is happy that these issues were brought to our attention so we could further strengthen the policies and procedures that we already have in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable working environment for all of our associates.”

Regal Cinemas could not be reached for comment.

For more information about youth employment regulations and other federal wage laws, call the Wage and Hour Division’s Chicago District Office at 312-596-7230 or the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).  Information is also available on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/whd.