LOS ANGELES – A former employee of a private security company has filed a class-action suit alleging labor code violations.
Daniel Demeter filed a complaint on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated on Sept. 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Garda CL West Inc. citing the Fair Labor Standards Act and California Labor Code.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that he worked for the defendant from July 2002 to November 2015 as an armed messenger, was paid on an hourly basis and usually worked more than 40 hours in a week. The suit states the defendant had a company-wide policy that only worked hours after 50 were paid as overtime by the defendant. He also alleges messengers were prohibited from taking either meal or rest breaks during work days.
The plaintiffs hold Garda CL West Inc. responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to pay proper overtime as required by law, failed to provide accurate pay check stubs and failed to provide plaintiff a meal period for numerous days worked.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek damages for overtime not paid to him of more than $20,000, liquidated damages in the amount of more than $20,000, damages for meal premiums not paid, penalties and damages in an amount of $6,000, restitution, disgorgement, interest, costs of suit, attorney's fees and further relief as the court may deem proper. He is represented by Michael L. Tracy of the Law Offices of Michael Tracy in Irvine.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:16-cv-07090