The Wine Group, one of the world’s largest winemakers producing about 53 million cases of wine annually, recently settled a wage and hour case for $6.8 million. A former employee, Eliazar Gonzalez, sued the wine company for unpaid wages and this past week a California Judge approved the settlement. The Wine Group currently has almost 1,000 employees, however the employees eligible for this class-action settlement include current and former hourly, non-exempt employees that worked with Wine Group during August 2011 through March 2018.
The original complaint against Wine Group, filed back in August 2015, alleged several labor violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act which included failure to pay overtime and minimum wages. Hourly employees were also denied the proper meal and rest breaks. Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that the Wine Group failed to pay wages on time as well as maintain the appropriate paperwork required by law for its employees. The $6.8 million settlement also includes more than $104,600 in penalties and other costs. This significant result will go a long way in helping hardworking employees recover their rightfully earned wages.
Non-exempt employees who are entitled to receive overtime pay, often do not get paid their overtime hours in accordance with the law. Hourly employees must be paid at least the minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime at time and a half their regularly hourly rate when working over 40 hours in a work week. If you believe you may be owed wages or have any concerns about your paystubs and wage statements, do not hesitate to call an employment lawyer. Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP offers a free phone consultation with one of our available attorneys that are standing by to discuss your potential case. Contact us now at (212) 300-0375 to see if you may have a claim or visit our website for additional information.