LawCash Links

Recommended

A corporation's backbone is its workers--surprisingly, many companies don't seem to recognize that fact. The class has been certified in an action filed against defense contractor Raytheon Company and related companies on behalf of all former employees of Raytheon Engineers and Constructors, Inc. who were involuntarily terminated as a result of the sale of Raytheon Engineers to Morrison Knudsen Corporation, which was succeeded by Washington Group. The action alleges that Raytheon Engineers violated the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by failing to grant severance pay and other benefits to employees under the ERISA-governed severance policy in connection with the stock sale to Morrison Knudsen.

A statewide collective action has been filed in West Virginia against credit card customer service giant, Applied Card Systems, Inc. The action is brought on behalf of all West Virginia employees of Applied who were not paid proper overtime compensation for all hours worked beyond 40 per week and who were terminated suddenly on April 23, 2003, when Applied closed its West Virginia operations without prior notice to employees. The action is brought under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and West Virginia labor laws and seeks back pay, statutory and liquidated damages as well as injunctive and declaratory relief. As a collective action, all potential claimants must voluntarily "opt-in" to the action in order to be considered a member of the class. The employees have requested that the court issue notice to all potential claimants.

A federal judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit against the Niketown Store located on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Eighteen current and former employees of the athletic apparel retailer claim store managers used racial slurs to refer to black workers and customers.

According to a class-action lawsuit filed in Miami, the financial department of Dell violated federal anti-discrimination laws by denying loans to Hispanics who do not speak English. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of businessman Juan Carlos Arteaga, alleging violations of the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Arteaga's attorney is seeking an injunction against Dell to prevent the company from discriminating on the basis of language to other potential customers as the case is pending.

California's labor laws grant its workers protections not found in many other states. The class has been certified in an action filed against Labor Ready, Inc. on behalf of California employees who allege that the company failed to pay them correctly, wrongly withheld sums from their pay, and failed to rovide them with itemized wage statements in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law and Labor Code between February 14, 1997, and the present. Eligible participants do not need to take any action at this time to remain a member of the class.

Brinker International Inc., operator of the Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grill restaurant chains, face a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company violated California law mandating workers' meal and rest breaks.

IT'S FREE