The suit charges JBM (also known as Blue Grass Satellite and Security) with pressuring its technicians to not report overtime hours, even though it knew or should have known that the technicians work
United States of America (Press Release) October 11, 2007 --
On September 27, 2007, the Getman Law Office of New Paltz, New York and the Langendorf Law Office of Middletown, Ohio filed a collective action overtime pay lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to recover unpaid overtime to technicians for JBM (BGS&S) who install and repair DirecTV equipment to homes and businesses. The two current workers who are bringing the case on behalf of all such technicians were paid on a job rate basis without receiving time and one half premium pay for work hours over forty in a work week. The suit charges JBM (also known as Blue Grass Satellite and Security) with pressuring its technicians to not report overtime hours, even though it knew or should have known that the technicians worked these hours. The suit joins a list of similar suits against DirecTV installation companies charged with the same violations. Plaintiffs seek unpaid overtime wages and “liquidated” or double damages as allowed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §201 et seq. The suit covers all technicians wherever they lived or worked for JBM.
The federal overtime law is a “new deal” piece of legislation designed to ensure reasonable hours of work and reasonable pay for that work for all U.S. workers. “The telecommunications industry routinely underpays installation and repair technicians,” Dan Getman, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys charged. “The practice of not paying time and one half overtime is unfortunately common, but it is generally illegal unless there is a specific exemption stated in the overtime law itself,” Getman said. “Here there simply is no exemption to the federal overtime law. These workers must be paid overtime in the future and back pay and liquidated damages for the amount they have been shorted to date,” Getman said. “Once again companies are seeking profits at the expense of the employees. The corporations and the owners benefit while the wages of the people doing the real work remain stagnant. Part of the reason U.S. workers’ wages have not risen is that many workers are entitled to overtime, but aren’t being paid at the proper time and one half rate as required by law,” said Getman.
The suit is named Laichev v. JBM, Inc. filed in the U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
contact Dan Getman, Getman Law Office, 9 Paradies Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561, Telephone (845) 255-9370; Fax (845) 255-8649; website: http://www.getmanlaw.com
The federal overtime law is a “new deal” piece of legislation designed to ensure reasonable hours of work and reasonable pay for that work for all U.S. workers. “The telecommunications industry routinely underpays installation and repair technicians,” Dan Getman, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys charged. “The practice of not paying time and one half overtime is unfortunately common, but it is generally illegal unless there is a specific exemption stated in the overtime law itself,” Getman said. “Here there simply is no exemption to the federal overtime law. These workers must be paid overtime in the future and back pay and liquidated damages for the amount they have been shorted to date,” Getman said. “Once again companies are seeking profits at the expense of the employees. The corporations and the owners benefit while the wages of the people doing the real work remain stagnant. Part of the reason U.S. workers’ wages have not risen is that many workers are entitled to overtime, but aren’t being paid at the proper time and one half rate as required by law,” said Getman.
The suit is named Laichev v. JBM, Inc. filed in the U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
contact Dan Getman, Getman Law Office, 9 Paradies Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561, Telephone (845) 255-9370; Fax (845) 255-8649; website: http://www.getmanlaw.com
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