I don’t love it! Wealthy husbands and wives of McDonald’s franchisees are fined $57,000 for overworking 101 children as young as FOURTEEN at their Pittsburgh restaurants
- Children were allowed to work more than three hours a day on school days
- Young teenagers worked longer than 9 p.m. in the summer, against strict labor laws
- An employee under the age of 16 operated a fryer illegally and unsafely
A couple who own 13 McDonald’s franchises in and around Pittsburgh have been fined $57,332 for “exploiting” 101 children as young as 14 at each of their restaurants.
John and Kathleen Santonastasso, owners of Santonastasso Enterprises LLC, violated strict labor laws that were put in place to protect young teenagers.
They were found to be allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer than three hours and after 7pm on school days and after 9pm in the summer.
They also employed children for more than eight hours on weekends and more than 18 hours a week during school weeks.
John and Kathleen Santonastasso boasted on Facebook that they run a “fun” neighborhood
The couple’s luxurious $800,000 four-bedroom, three-bathroom mansion in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Of even greater concern, an employee under the age of 16 was allowed to operate a deep fryer illegally. The law requires the fryer to be equipped with a special device to automatically lower and raise the baskets before young workers can safely operate it.
Last year, in a now-deleted Facebook video, John and Kathleen Santonastasso boasted that they ran a “people-first” business that offered a “fun” environment, flexibility, and the opportunity to earn money for college.
While “exploiting” the young employees in their care, the couple, whose family has worked with McDonald’s for more than 40 years, retreated to their $800,000 four-bedroom, three-bathroom mansion in Canonsburg. The historic village has been called “one of the best places to live in Pennsylvania.”
In a statement, they said: “We take our role as a local employer very seriously and regret any scheduling issues that may have arisen at our restaurants.”
They added that the company has now introduced new procedures to avoid future scheduling problems.
John DuMont says working long hours can affect children’s health, well-being and education
“Allowing youth workers to work excessive hours can jeopardize their safety, welfare and education,” said John DuMont of the Department of Labor, adding, “Employers who hire youth workers must understand and comply with federal child labor laws or they will be complied.” expect costly consequences.’
Reid Maki of the Child Labor Coalition told the Washington Post: “The kid who works the deep fryer — that’s a very dangerous piece of equipment.”
He added: “When children work more than 20 hours a week, there is research that suggests their grades go down and their school completion rate falls.”
McDonald’s Corporation did not respond to a request for comment.
John and Kathleen Santonastasso operate 13 McDonald’s franchises in and around Pittsburgh
All of the couple’s franchises have been found to have violated strict child labor laws
In an interview with Pittsburgh’s Action News, one of Santonastassos’ customers said, “Of course, that’s not a good thing. That shouldn’t be happening, especially in this day and age
“And there are definitely people out there who can work, so it sounds like some kind of exploitation. And I think it’s very important that they put an end to this.”
Another said: “It’s pretty screwed up to have a facility that exploits child labor.”
Catherine Glencoe, deputy district manager at the Department of Labor warned parents that as the bank holidays approach, more employers will be relying on young workers.
“This is the season where more kids are hired,” she said. “It is important for employers to know that there are rules to follow and what their obligations are so that we can keep children safe and employers comply with the rules.”