Pizzeria let teens use meat slicer and dough mixer, feds say. Now restaurant must pay
Teens working at a Pennsylvania restaurant were allowed to use the meat slicer and vertical dough mixer — one of several labor violations discovered by the U.S. Department of Labor, according to federal authorities.
The restaurant also failed to pay the correct overtime rates, and the owners fired three workers who complained about illegal pay practices, authorities said.
Aston CC LLC, which operates as Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill, and its owners must now pay $268,660 in back wages and damages, according to an Oct. 23 news release from the Labor Department.
The Collegeville restaurant’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 23.
Child labor violations
Authorities said Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill employed at least three teens who were tasked with jobs considered “hazardous for young workers.”
A 17-year-old worker and 15-year-old employee operated a meat slicer, the department said, and two 17-year-old workers used a vertical dough mixer.
One child worker under age 16 was also scheduled to work more than eight hours when school was out of session, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the release.
The department said the employers did not keep a record of birth dates for employees under age 19 and they did not keep track of the hours that three children worked.
Overtime pay violations
Federal investigators said Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill willfully violated the law by not paying kitchen workers time and a half when they worked more than 40 hours in a week, authorities said.
When a cashier and delivery drivers worked overtime, authorities said the employer paid them for the extra hours in cash. But the workers did not receive enough pay, according to the release. The division said the employers did not maintain time or pay records for employees who received at least some of their wages in cash.
Three employees complained to their bosses about the overtime pay practices and were then fired, authorities said. This violated the FLSA’s anti-retaliation provision.
‘Employers must comply’
“The Fair Labor Standards Act does not permit employers to deny overtime pay or jeopardize the safety of young workers,” Wage and Hour Division District Director James Cain said in the release. “Food service industry employers must comply with federal wage and child labor laws to avoid violations like the ones found in this case. Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, but we must protect children and make sure their first jobs are safe and do not interfere with their education or well-being.”
Aston CC LLC, Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill and its owners are jointly and severally liable for $129,829.92 in back wages and $129,829.92 in liquidated damages, records show. They are also responsible for $9,000 in punitive damages.
Collegeville is about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Unpaid 15-year-old Subway workers were threatened when they asked for wages, feds say
Dozens of 14- and 15-year-olds worked illegally at Sonic Drive-Ins in SC, feds say
9 teen workers were assigned to use McDonald’s deep fryers, feds say. Franchisee fined
