Marcus Theatres Fined For Violating Child Labor Laws

The parent company of the Marcus Oakdale Theatre has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor for multiple violations of youth employment provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

As part of a larger industry investigation, the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division found that Milwaukee, Wis.-based Marcus Theatres Corp. had violated child labor laws in a number of its theatres, including the Oakdale theater. According to the Labor Dept., Marcus allowed a number of teenagers to perform hazardous jobs and work longer hours than are allowed under the law.

The company has agreed to pay $93,995 in civil penalties and has also agreed to implement comprehensive internal compliance and training programs.

U.S. Labor Department spokesperson Scott Allen said that the investigators had performed random checks and while they had not visited every theater (including the one in Rosemount), the agency was "convinced these violations are part of a systemic industry-wide problem."

Labor Department investigators looked at Marcus-owned theaters in and Rochester, Minn., and uncovered 61 incidents of minors loading and operating trash compactors. There was also one incident of a minor operating a motor vehicle and another incident of a minor operating a power-driven mixer.

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. Loading is permitted only if certain specific conditions are met.

The FLSA also places restrictions on the hours and times employees under the age of 16 may work during the school year. Investigators found seven minors working in the two Minnesota theaters who had worked beyond the hours permitted by law.

When contacted by Patch, Marcus Theatres Inc. spokesperson Carlo Petrick released this statement:

"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."

The Regal Cinema and Wehrenberg movie theater companies have also agreed to pay fines as part of a larger Labor Department investigation of the industry.

"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 statement announcing the fines. "Businesses that employ minors are legally and ethically obligated to abide by child labor standards and ensure youth are protected on the job."