By Michael Hiltzik Published 2:57 pm PST, Wednesday, January 9, 2019 Fast-food companies accused of nickel-and-diming their workers through wage theft? That’s become almost a dog-bites-man story in today’s workplace environment. The same companies forcing the workers to bring their claims in arbitration rather than taking them to court? Ditto. But one fast-food company appears to have outsmarted itself in fending off thousands of wage-theft claims. That would be Chipotle Mexican Grill, which owns more than 2,300 restaurants nationwide. Chipotle has been fighting claims of wage theft lodged in federal court by current and former workers since July 2013, with the army of plaintiffs having grown to about 10,000 strong. Back in August, the company won a major victory by persuading a federal judge in Denver to eject more than 2,800 of those workers from the court proceedings because they had signed an agreement to bring their claims only through arbitration. But … [Read more...] about Chipotle may have outsmarted itself by blocking employee lawsuits
Lawsuits
Low-paid au pairs win $65.5 million deal in lawsuit
By Associated Press | | PUBLISHED: January 9, 2019 at 3:37 pm | UPDATED: January 9, 2019 at 3:42 pm By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press Young people from around the world who provided low-cost child care for American families will share in a proposed $65.5 million settlement of a lawsuit brought by a dozen former au pairs against the companies that bring the workers to the United States. Nearly 100,000 au pairs, mostly women, who worked in American homes over the past decade will be entitled to payment under the proposed settlement filed in Denver federal court Wednesday, a month before the case brought by a dozen former au pairs from Colombia, Australia, Germany, South Africa and Mexico was set to go to trial. They claimed 15 companies authorized to bring au pairs to the United States colluded to keep their wages low, ignoring overtime and state minimum wage laws and treating the federal minimum wage for au pairs as a maximum amount they can earn. In some cases, the lawsuit … [Read more...] about Low-paid au pairs win $65.5 million deal in lawsuit
Judge dismisses opioid crisis lawsuits against drugmakers
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut judge has dismissed lawsuits against Purdue Pharma and two dozen other drug companies brought by 37 cities and towns in the state, which blame them for the opioid crisis and seek to recoup millions of dollars spent on emergency response and other services. Judge Thomas Moukawsher in Hartford Superior Court ruled Tuesday that the lawsuits were not allowed because they were not government enforcement actions, such as those filed under consumer protection and public health laws. Instead, the judge said the lawsuits were filed as "ordinary civil cases" seeking money damages for the "indirect harm" from the opioid crisis. "Their lawsuits can't survive without proof that the people they are suing directly caused them the financial losses they seek to recoup," Moukawsher wrote. "This puts the cities in the same position in claiming money as the brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, and co-workers of addicts who say they have also indirectly suffered … [Read more...] about Judge dismisses opioid crisis lawsuits against drugmakers
Evers says he will order change in ‘stance’ in lawsuit
MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers says he will be sending a letter to Attorney General Josh Kaul this week calling for Wisconsin to "change our stance" in a multi-state lawsuit seeking repeal of the federal health care law. Evers campaigned on withdrawing from the lawsuit, but after he won the lame-duck Republican Legislature changed the law to require legislative approval to withdraw from the lawsuit. Evers wouldn't say at a news conference Wednesday that his letter would be in accordance with the law. He says, "We are going to issue that letter directly to the attorney general and we believe it will be in such a format that he will be able to move forward." As for how it will not violate the law, Evers says, "You'll have to wait and see the letter." … [Read more...] about Evers says he will order change in ‘stance’ in lawsuit
Kuwait pension fund says files lawsuit against UK’s MAN Group
(Reuters) - Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) said on Wednesday it had filed a lawsuit against UK asset manager MAN Group Plc <EMG.L> and its subsidiaries. The pension fund is seeking $156 million (£122.5 million) in compensation relating to secret contracts between MAN Group and a former PIFSS executive between 1996 to 2013, it said in a statement. The lawsuit was filed with the UK's Supreme Court, the fund said in the statement. (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; editing by Jason Neely) … [Read more...] about Kuwait pension fund says files lawsuit against UK’s MAN Group