A United Airlines affiliate responsible for plane cleaning services allegedly did not adequately compensate cabin workers for overtime hours worked outside of their scheduled shifts, as alleged in a proposed class action lawsuit that the company, United Ground Express, transferred to Colorado federal court.
According to the complaint initially lodged in Colorado state court in February, the company had implemented a shift-exchange policy permitting workers to pick up shifts that others wanted to trade or have reallocated. The employees alleged that while the company compensated them for scheduled overtime, it failed to fully pay them for additional hours voluntarily taken on.
In its removal notice, United Ground Express asserted that the lawsuit should be heard in federal court due to the potential involvement of over 100 workers in the proposed class and the estimated $7.5 million in dispute exceeding the $5 million threshold.
The plaintiffs stated that they, along with “hundreds of other low-wage immigrant workers,” were required to work significant overtime hours cleaning United aircrafts for United Ground Express at Denver International Airport.
One plaintiff cited an example, mentioning that between March 12, 2023 and March 25, 2023, he worked approximately 39 hours of overtime but received compensation for only about 30 hours at his regular pay rate. Likewise, another plaintiff stated that from September 24, 2023 to October 7, 2023, United Ground Express compensated him for only about 13 hours out of the more than 50 hours of overtime he worked at his regular rate.
The plaintiffs expressed that they are challenging the unpaid overtime work they completed before January 1, 2024. They explained that on this date, the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics of the Colorado Department of Labor implemented a new regulation. This regulation exempts interstate airlines from the obligation to pay time and a half for overtime hours worked voluntarily through shift trades or reassignments, as per the plaintiffs’ assertions.
If you believe you have not been fully compensated for your hours worked, including proper overtime pay, our legal team is here to help. Contact one of our knowledgeable attorneys today for a free consultation to discuss your rights and options. Don’t hesitate to pursue the compensation you deserve.