DENVER, CO — A group of drywall workers working on a luxury Denver high rise recently celebrated victory after settling their class action unpaid overtime lawsuit with their former employer, finally resolving years of litigation. As part of the settlement, about 150 former workers employed to hang drywall and haul away materials at the SkyHouse Denver will share in the $800,000, which will average out to $200 per week for each person and and additional $1,000 for the nine plaintiffs who originally brought the suit.
Atlanta-based subcontractor The Circle Group and the labor broker who hired the workers will pay out the settlement to the workers, who were mostly immigrant laborers from across the country. Circle Group denied it acted as an employer, insisting that any liability fell to the labor broker who recruited and paid the workers to spend 60 to 70 hours on the job performing hard manual labor.
According to the unpaid overtime lawsuit, at least one plaintiff may have been underpaid for as much as 100 hours of work, some of which was overtime pay for hours worked over the threshold for time and a half. Furthermore, the class action federal overtime lawsuit claimed that many workers on the project ended up earning less than minimum wage since they were not paid for the total hours they spent on the job.
Employees worked up to nine hours a day for seven days a week, but were never properly compensated for the full amount of time they put into their jobs, according to the complaint. Many of the workers were allegedly hired by staffing agencies to fulfill the labor needs of the project.
A large number of these workers came in from out of state and had to reimburse the staffing agency for their transportation to Denver to work on site as part of their agreement with the employment agency. While the settlement finally brings the legal proceedings to a close, the case highlights the systemic wage theft problem many migrant laborers in America face every day.
Construction Worker Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.