Baggage and cargo handlers at Southwest Airways alleged they have been paid solely twice a month, whereas New York employment legislation mandates that guide staff are paid weekly, in accordance with a not too long ago filed lawsuit within the U.S. District Court docket for the Jap District of New York.
The category-action lawsuit, with Southwest staff Richard Pressure and David Garner on the forefront, seeks damages for 2 separate complaints: that Southwest didn’t pay staff on time underneath New York Labor Regulation and didn’t challenge immediate fee underneath the Truthful Labor Requirements Act.
“It’s egregious that Southwest continues to disregard these state and federal statutes to the detriment of its guide staff statewide,” Michael Palmer, co-managing associate at legislation agency Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight mentioned in a press release.
The New York State Legal professional Common’s web site outlines all facets of labor legislation within the state, together with wages. It states that guide staff must be paid “a minimum of as soon as per week, no more than per week after the wages have been earned.”
“Southwest’s refusal to pay its guide staff each week is inconsistent with the state legislation’s objective of defending people who depend on their common wages for sustenance,” Palmer mentioned in a press release. “No employee residing paycheck to paycheck ought to have to attend to obtain their earned wages.”
Finally, the plaintiffs are looking for $100 million in damages, to accommodate the 100 or extra staff equally located to the 2 foremost plaintiffs.
HR Dive reached out to Southwest for remark; a spokesperson mentioned the corporate declines to touch upon pending litigation.
