Greenville Domino's among 7 locations charged with child labor law violations
Mar. 25—A Domino's pizza operator with locations in three counties, including one in Greenville, has been hit with fines for multiple child labor law violations.
Nancy A. Walker, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, announced Monday that department officials fined NWPA Pizza Inc. $344,000 for violating the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act.
NWPA Pizza Inc. operates multiple Domino's Pizza locations in Mercer, Erie and Crawford counties. Department investigators cited the operator for 715 violations at seven locations since 2021, according to the press release.
A Department of Labor and Industry spokesperson said the seven locations involved were the Domino's Pizza at 318 Main St., Greenville; 220 Willow St., Meadville; a shop in Fairview; and four locations in Erie.
An email submitted by the Herald to Domino's Pizza's corporate office equesting comment was not returned Monday.
The state's investigation uncovered 375 violations of failure to provide breaks, meaning the business did not provide breaks on or before the fifth hour of work, involving 13 children, the release states.
Additionally, the investigation revealed:
— 16 violations of not securing a work permit, meaning the business employed a child who did not have appropriate work papers for children hired to fill a position, involving 16 children.
— 29 violations of failure to announce employment or employment change to a school district, meaning the business failed to notify a child's respective school within five days of being hired or failed to notify the respective school within five days of termination or resignation, involving 16 children.
— Three violations of parental authorization, meaning the business employed a child under the age of 16 without parental authorization, involving three children.
— 154 violations of excessive hours worked, meaning the business violated the number of hours a child can work a day or week, involving seven children.
— 138 violations of employment before or after legal hours, meaning the business scheduled a minor ages 14-15 outside legal working hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the school year, involving seven children.
As part of the settlement agreement, NWPA Pizza Inc. management teams at all of its Domino's locations are required to undergo training provided by the department's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance on how to adhere to the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act, the release states.
"L&I is unwavering in its commitment to defending the rights of Pennsylvania's workforce and ensuring the safety of our youngest workers from illegal employment practices," Walker said in the release.
Walker added that Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed 2024-25 budget includes an investment to enhance the department's enforcement capabilities through the addition of 12 labor law investigators to the existing team of 27.
"This strategic investment is aimed at bolstering our education, outreach, and enforcement efforts to protect Pennsylvania workers, especially our children, from unlawful employment practices," Walker said.
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