Week Adjourned: 12.18.09

Thousands of AT&T employees found out they weren't exempt...Top Class Actions 

Coulda Used Employee Directory Assistance? Seems the masters of directory assistance could’ve used some help with their own employee directory—or at least with how they classified certain employees. So, they finally called “overtime” on unpaid overtime at AT&T and its subsidiaries BellSouth Telecommunications Co, and Pacific Bell Telephone Co. The telecom giant got hit with a couple of class action lawsuits this week, alleging that they withheld as much as $1 billion in overtime wages from 5,000 plus first level managers who worked for PacBell in the states where BellSouth does business.

Although most of us can likely guess what the charges are, just for the record AT&T allegedly violated the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as California State Laws by deliberately misclassifying thousands (yes, thousands) of level one managers as being exempt from overtime wages. Yeah, that would probably save shareholders a bundle. Other allegations include not paying for meal and rest breaks—how predictable. 

So, who’s eligible? There are two classes: 

1) The “Off-the-clock” class consists of “All First Level (or Level One Managers) employed by BellSouth from December 2006 and thereafter who were assigned technicians as direct reports Continue reading “Week Adjourned: 12.18.09”

Week Adjourned: 12.11.09

Canadian Superior's offshore drilling results allegedly not disclosedTop Class Actions

You Know the Drill…? Apparently not if you’re one of the shareholders who allege, among other things that when Canadian Superior Energy drilled off the shores of Trinidad (the “Intrepid” Block 5(c)) their execs didn’t disclose that the discovered reserves were below the economic threshold for development. Canadian Superior Energy, Inc. got hit with a securities class action this week. The allegations? That certain of Canadian Superior’s former executives violated federal securities laws.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of anyone who purchased the common stock of (NYSE Amex: SNG) between January 14, 2008 and February 17, 2009, inclusive. If you have this stock as part of an employee shareholder package—you may also be eligible for the class action under something known s ERISA

Top Settlements

This Land is Your Land, but… The US government has announced that it will pay (or pay back?) Continue reading “Week Adjourned: 12.11.09”

Week Adjourned: 12.4.09

Amazon.com under fire for rounding on time cardsTop Class Actions

Amazon Rounds Out? A lawsuit seeking class action status was filed by a former employee of Amazon.com this week. He’s alleging that Amazon’s warehouse workers across the country have not been properly paid for overtime, including himself, obviously.

Richard Austin worked as a “warehouse associate” (why is everyone an associate today? Is that corporate code for no benefits, no overtime, no complaining…?) at Amazon’s Nevada Distribution Center between September 2008 and August 2009. He claims that warehouse “associates” were required to clock in and out before their scheduled start and end times, and the company then rounded their times to the nearest quarter hour—benefitting the company of course.

And, the lawsuit claims these practices took place in Amazon.com warehouses in Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Wonder how long this one will take. 

Top Settlements

Big Box Retailer Settles Big? This one made headlines all over the place. Wal-Mart agreed this Continue reading “Week Adjourned: 12.4.09”