In March 2017, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a class and collective action lawsuit against Nick’s Pizzabar located at 365 3rd Avenue, New York, New York 10016. The lawsuit seeks to recover minimum wages, uniform maintenance pay, unlawful deductions, and other wages for all current and former delivery workers. Among other claims, the lawsuit alleges that Defendants failed to provide proper notice to delivery workers that would enable the company to take a “tip credit” towards the hourly rates paid ...
Continue Reading →20 JUN
On May 15, 2017, in the case of Black et al. v. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc., No. 16 Civ. 03968, Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division granted Plaintiffs’ motion for conditional certification of a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Plaintiffs originally commenced this action on April 1, 2016, on behalf of themselves and all similarly situated current and former tipped workers employed at ...
Continue Reading →29 NOV
On April 1, 2016, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, along with Werman Salas P.C., filed a class and collective action lawsuit against P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc., owner and operator of the famous P.F. Chang’s restaurant chain. The lawsuit alleged that P.F. Chang’s failed to pay tipped employees the proper minimum and overtime wages to which they were entitled. On November 28, 2016, the law firms asked the Court for Step-One Certification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), which would ...
Continue Reading →13 JAN
Professional cheerleaders for the NFL around the nation are pushing for their rights. Some of these side line entertainers and half time performers for the Buffalo Bills are stepping forward and demanding an increase in wages and better treatment as employees. The main issue in their push for better wages stems from how cheerleaders are categorized by the Buffalo Bills and the NFL in general. It has become common practice in the industry to categorize cheerleaders as independent ...
Continue Reading →10 FEB
A recent summary order issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the case of Jacob v. Duane Reade, Inc. affirmed the District Court’s holding that the lawsuit, pertaining to a class of misclassified Assistant Store Managers, meets the requirements for class certification, at least in regards to questions of liability. The Plaintiff class consists of Assistant Store Managers at New York Duane Reade locations who believe that they have been misclassified by their employer ...
Continue Reading →29 OCT
Recently, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has signed off on a proposed class settlement between Publix Super Markets Inc. (“Publix”) and Erin Knights, individually and as a representative of a class (“Knights”). Knights brought an action under the Fair Credit and Reporting Act (“FCRA”), alleging that Publix’s computerized background check authorization webpage, which is included in their job application process, violated the FCRA. Specifically, Knights alleged that neither the background check application screen or ...
Continue Reading →1 OCT
In a recent decision, on September 16, 2014, the Eastern District of New York granted Plaintiffs’, personal injury protection and medical payments claims adjusters (“adjusters”), motion for class certification of their New York Labor Law (“NYLL”) claims pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, while denying Defendant’s, Allstate Insurance Company, motion to decertify the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) collective. Perez v. Allstate Insurance Co., Nos.11 -1812 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 16, 2014).
The Court pointed to testimonial and documentary evidence to ...
Continue Reading →18 SEP
On August 25, 2014, the Southern District of New York granted Plaintiffs’, plumbers, request for final certification and motion for partial summary judgment while denying Defendants Contract Callers, Inc., Michael Maguire, and William “Tim” Wertz’s motion to decertify the conditionally certified collective action and motion for summary judgment. McGlone v. Contract Callers, Inc., Nos.11 -3004 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 25, 2014).
Defendants entered into a contract with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) to install water meters and associated devices ...
Continue Reading →14 JUL
On October 2, 2013, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a lawsuit alleging that Defendants Moonstruck Diners failed to pay non-exempt workers the proper minimum wage rate, overtime pay and spread-of-hours pay as required under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the New York Labor Law.
On July 2, 2014 the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion for an Order Granting Class Certification, Court Authorization and Expedited Discovery pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) and denied Defendants’ Cross-Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings ...
Continue Reading →2 JUL
A major decision was reached on July 1, 2014 in the Houser v Pritzker case pending in the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York. The case was filed on April 13, 2010 against the Census Bureau, an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that is charged with conducting a population and housing census every ten years.
The case concerns a class of African American and Latino plaintiffs who underwent criminal background checks as part of their job ...
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