Monday, August 17, 2009

Ticket Office Employees Sue The Redskins for Unpaid Overtime: Granted Collective/Class Status.

Six former employees of the Washington Redskins are prosecuting an overtime arbitration against The Washington Redskins. The suit charges the Redskins with failing to pay overtime wages and commissions in violation of federal and state labor laws. The suit was filed by the Rubin Employment Law Firm, P.C. The suit is pending before the American Arbitration Association as the Redskins required its employees to waive their right to a jury trial as a condition of employment. All six ticket office employees worked at FEDEX field in Landover, Maryland.

The suit alleges that the Redskins failed to pay the ticket office employees the required overtime premium. The suit also alleges that the Redskins retaliated against three of the six former employees by terminating their employment within days of learning that they were asserting their rights to overtime payments. Finally, the suit alleges that the Redskins failed to pay most of the plaintiffs out of their final commission checks.

The Arbitrator recently certified the employees' claims as a collective (or class) action. A notice will be sent to eligible employees inviting them to join the claim. The Arbitrator also rejected as an initial matter the Redskins defense that they are exempt from the overtime laws as a recreation establishment.

Current and former Redskins employees who wish to learn more should call The Rubin Employment Law Firm at 301-760-7914 or email James Rubin.

Recent press coverage can be found at the Washington Post (which blogged about it here) and the Washington City Paper.