Class Actions

Subscribe to Class Actions via RSS

Estrada v. RPS, Inc., 125 Cal. App. 4th 976 (2005)

Anthony Estrada, a former driver for RPS, alleged unfair business practices under Business & Professions Code § 17200, contending that RPS unlawfully classified its pickup and delivery drivers as “independent contractors” rather than employees and, as a result, had failed to reimburse them for employment-related expenses as required by Labor Code § 2802. After…

Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 222 F.R.D. 137 (N.D. Cal. 2004) (Jenkins, J.)

Plaintiffs in this Title VII class-action lawsuit alleged that women employed in Wal-Mart stores are paid less than men in comparable positions, despite having higher performance ratings and greater seniority, receive fewer promotions to in-store management positions, and those who are promoted must wait longer than their male counterparts to advance.

Prince v. CLS Transp., Inc., 118 Cal. App. 4th 1320 (2004)

Ronald Prince and two other employees filed a class-action complaint against CLS Transportation, Inc., seeking unpaid wages on behalf of more than 500 CLS drivers. CLS demurred on the ground that there was no well-defined community of interest and that a class action was not superior to other methods of adjudicating these particular…

Ballaris v. Wacker Siltronic Corp., 370 F.3d 901 (9th Cir. 2004)

Plaintiff-employees worked in Wacker’s cleanrooms where silicon wafers were manufactured. All employees who work in the cleanrooms must wear gowns to help maintain the clean environment. Ballaris alleged in this FLSA class-action lawsuit that Wacker had a policy or practice of failing to pay its workers overtime wages for the time spent on…

Pfohl v. Farmers Ins. Group, 2004 WL 554834 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 1, 2004)

Thomas Pfohl filed this putative class action for unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated individuals who worked for Farmers as temporary full-time insurance adjusters. In this proceeding, the District Court denied Pfohl’s Motion for Certification of Collective Action. Pfohl…

Bell v. Farmers Ins. Exchange, 115 Cal. App. 4th 715 (2004)

Following a jury trial, Farmers Insurance Exchange was ordered to pay a class consisting of 2,402 current and former claims representatives over $90 million in unpaid overtime and over $32 million in prejudgment interest. The claims representatives contended that Farmers had improperly classified them as exempt administrative employees and had unlawfully deprived them…

Alvarez v. IBP, Inc., 339 F.3d 894 (9th Cir. 2003)

Meat packing employees of IBP, Inc. (the world’s largest producer of fresh beef, pork and related products) filed a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employees (all of whom were non-exempt from the overtime requirements of state and federal law) alleged that they should have been…

Koo v. Rubio’s Restaurants, Inc., 109 Cal. App. 4th 719 (2003)

An attorney representing a corporate defendant in a class action lawsuit concerning allegedly unpaid overtime wages for managers filed a declaration stating that he represented both the employer and its managers. The attorney later clarified that his only intention was to put opposing counsel on notice that the employer’s managerial agents were “represented…

Parris v. Superior Court, 109 Cal. App. 4th 285 (2003)

Cynthia Parris and Willie Lopez filed a class action lawsuit against Lowe’s H.I.W., Inc., alleging violations of California’s wage and hour laws regarding allegedly unpaid overtime compensation that was owed to employees who were compelled to work “off the clock.” Parris and Lopez then filed a motion for leave to communicate with potential class…

Reynolds v. Bement, 107 Cal. App. 4th 738 (2003)

In this class action lawsuit brought by shop managers and assistant shop managers of Earl Scheib, Inc., the managers asserted that the officers and directors of Earl Scheib were personally liable for unpaid overtime in that they were “employers” within the meaning of Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order No. 9. The trial court sustained…