The owner of the Warren McDonald’s said there have been changes made at his stores to promote safety and prevent further violations of child labor laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that Tom DuCharme and the DuCharme Organization, owner of the Warren store and six others in Erie, had paid civil penalties of more than $92,000 in relation to violations of child-labor laws at the stores between June 2020 and June 2022.

“As a small business owner, I take my role in the community seriously, and I’m deeply committed to the safety and well-being of all my employees,” DuCharme said. “I have since adopted several enhanced processes to address scheduling issues and to ensure my organization is meeting the high standards to which we hold ourselves.”

The violations were investigated and announced by the U.S. Department of Labor.

According to the department’s Wednesday release, minors working at the Warren store were allowed to work at times not permitted by child labor laws and for more hours per week than allowed under the law.

Of the 154 minors involved, 27 worked at the Warren McDonald’s.