US fines 3 theater companies over youth labor
Published 3:43 pm Tuesday, March 1, 2011
ST. LOUIS — The Labor Department says it has fined three of the nation’s largest movie theater companies more than $277,000 for alleged child-labor violations.
The department says federal workplace investigators found that dozens of teenage theater workers in 27 theaters in nine states performed hazardous jobs or worked longer hours than allowed under U.S. law.
The Labor Department says Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Cinemas Inc. paid more than $158,000 in civil penalties. Milwaukee, Wis.-based Marcus Theatres Corp. paid roughly $94,000 in fines, while St. Louis-based Wehrenberg Inc. is paying $25,000.
The alleged violations took place in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday with the theater companies.
