Wilmington, VA: A class action lawsuit alleging violations of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) has been filed by a now former employee of FirstMed. The lawsuit alleges the Wilmington-based company violated the Act by not giving written notice of impending termination to its employees. The company has just closed down.
The lawsuit is seeking 60 days worth unpaid wages, salary, commissions and bonuses for roughly 2,000 employees who lost their jobs, as well accrued holiday pay, vacation pay, pension and 401(k) contributions and COBRA benefits.
The WARN Act requires employers under certain circumstances to provide 60 days' notice of covered plant closings and mass layoffs.
The lawsuit was filed , in the U.S. District Court for Eastern North Carolina, by Branden Engle who worked at the company's facility in Toledo, Ohio.
According to the employment class action, while FirstMed is named as defendant in the lawsuit Enhanced Equity Fund II LLP owns all of FirstMed's shares and is ultimately owns FirstMed.
Formed in 1988, FirstMed EMS provided patient transportation in Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia through various local companies. In 2011, FirstMed acquired American Ambulette and Ambulance Inc., Life Ambulance, MedCorp and TransMed.
