US Department of Labor finds child labor violations by operator of 13 greater Pittsburgh area McDonald’s locations, affecting 101 minor-aged workers

PITTSBURGH – A federal investigation has found child labor violations involving 101 minor-aged workers at 13 McDonald’s locations in the greater Pittsburgh area operated by Santonastasso Enterprises LLC, based in Bridgeville.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined the franchisee, which operates as McDonald’s Restaurant, permitted 14-and-15-year-old employees to work outside permissible hours. These violations included allowing them to work as follows:

• More than 3 hours per day and after 7 p.m. on school days when the law forbids work beyond that time.
• Later than 9 p.m. on days between June 1 and Labor Day, when they may legally work until 9 p.m.
• More than 8 hours on a non-school day, and more than 18 hours a week during a regular school week.

These failures led to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Permitting young workers to work excessive hours can jeopardize their safety, well-being and education,” explained Wage and Hour District Director John DuMont in Pittsburgh. “Employers who hire young workers must understand and comply with federal child labor laws or face costly consequences.”

The division’s investigation included the following locations and workers affected:

Investigators also found a violation of child labor occupations standards at the 100 Davis Blvd. location in Pittsburgh.  A minor under the age of 16 was allowed to operate a deep fryer, which was not equipped with a device to automatically lower and raise the baskets

Santonastasso Enterprises LLC – owned by John and Kathleen Santonastasso – paid a civil money penalty of $57,332 assessed by the division for the violations.

From fiscal year 2017-2021, the department identified child labor violations in more than 4,000 cases, finding more than 13,000 minor-aged workers employed in violation.

For more information about young workers’ rights and other employee rights enforced by the division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. The division protects workers regardless of where they are from and can communicate with workers in more than 200 languages. Download the agency’s Timesheet App, now available for Android devices, to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

Learn more about the Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor provisions.