Ain't justice grand? Look back to slaves, child labor. coolies. No compensation. How does the world exist without lawyers? It doesn't. And Obama is trained as a lawyer.
On Dec 12, 7:28�am, mike 532 <[email protected]> wrote: > Wal-Mart Workers in Minnesota Win $54 Million Settlement > )http://www.truthout.org:80/121108LA > � � Hastings - Some 100,000 current and former hourly employees of > Wal- > Mart and Sam's Club stores in Minnesota - and the state of Minnesota > itself - will share up to $54 million from the giant retailer under a > settlement announced Tuesday. > > � � The agreement is the final stage in a wage-and-hour class action > suit that put a spotlight on Wal-Mart's practice of having employees > work through their rest and meal breaks. In July, Dakota County > District Judge Robert King ruled the company committed more than 2 > million violations of the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act and > ordered it to pay $6.5 million in back pay. > > � � The judge then scheduled a jury trial to determine the amount of > civil penalties and punitive damages. By reaching a settlement, the > parties avoided going to trial. > > � � People eligible for the settlement worked at Wal-Mart Stores and > Sam's Clubs locations in Minnesota from Sept. 11, 1998, through Nov. > 14, 2008. The agreement also includes "a substantial payment to the > State of Minnesota," according to a joint statement released by Wal- > Mart and Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, one of the law firms > representing the workers. > > � � "We are satisfied with this settlement, gratified that these > hourly workers will now be paid after seven years of litigation, and > happy that the State of Minnesota will receive the largest wage and > hour civil penalty in its history," said Justin Perl, one of the > attorneys for the workers. > > � � "Wal-Mart is pleased that the court in Minnesota ruled in its > favor on many claims," said Wal-Mart spokesperson David Tovar. "Our > policies are to pay every associate for every hour worked and to make > rest and meal breaks available for associates. Any manager who > violates these policies is subject to discipline, up to and including > termination. We remain committed to providing good jobs with real > career opportunity to the 1.45 million U.S. associates who choose to > work for Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day." > > � � In his ruling in July, Judge King found that Wal-Mart repeatedly > and willfully violated Minnesota labor laws or its contract with its > employees on the issues of contractual rest breaks, statutory meal > breaks, shaving time from paid rest breaks and failure to maintain > accurate records. > > � � In the decision, the judge found that Wal-Mart was aware that > employees were not receiving breaks to which they were entitled. "In > essence, they put their heads in the sand," King stated. > > � � In testimony before Judge King, former Wal-Mart workers described > being forced to miss breaks so they could keep up with the work, even > to the point of not having time to go to the bathroom. > > � � As part of the settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to maintain > various > electronic systems, surveys, and notices that will further compliance > with wage and hour policies and Minnesota laws. The settlement is > subject to approval by the trial court, and the exact amount paid to > class members will depend on the court's approval as well as on the > number and amount of claims that are submitted by class members, the > parties said. > > � � A hearing for preliminary approval of the settlement has been > scheduled for Jan. 14, 2009. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
