Sacramento, CA: A California wage and hour class action lawsuit has been filed against German industrial giant Siemens, alleging hundreds of current and former employees were not paid for meal or rest breaks, as required by state law. The class action claims the plaintiffs are owed in excess of $10 million.
According to the complaint, the majority of the class members, some 300 to 600 current or former non-exempt employees, worked at the Siemens Rail Systems manufacturing plant on French Road in Sacramento. Lead plaintiff Jarrid Whitley used to work at the local plant as a fitter/welder.
Filed January 15, 2014, the lawsuit alleges the wage and hour violations go back four years. Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory, general and punitive damages, waiting time penalties, interest and attorneys' fees and costs. According to court documents, Siemens allegedly required non-exempt employees, including welders, assemblymen, painters, transportation crew members and others, to work shifts of 10 hours or more without a second meal break and rest period. The lawsuit further claims that at the time, the defendant didn't have a company policy in place regarding second meal breaks and rest periods for employees on extended daily work schedules.
The lawsuit further alleges workers were deprived of accurate and timely wage-and-hour statements and subject to unfair business practices because the violations "were done repeatedly over a significant period of time."
According to the unpaid wage and hour class action, prior to late 2013, Siemens failed to inform employees of the specific times they were entitled to take meal and rest breaks.
