A California corporation is facing a class-action lawsuit over alleged labor violations, including failure to provide rest and meal breaks, pay minimum and overtime wages, and issue accurate wage statements. The complaint was filed by Martin Castro on October 18, 2024, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara against American Steel & Stairways, Inc.
Martin Castro, representing himself and other similarly situated employees, claims that American Steel & Stairways violated multiple sections of the California Labor Code. The allegations include not paying all wages earned for hours worked, failing to provide legally mandated meal and rest periods, not indemnifying employees for business expenses incurred during their duties, providing inaccurate wage statements, and not paying all due wages upon termination. These actions are claimed to have been conducted under a company policy or practice that did not comply with state laws.
Castro's lawsuit details how he and other hourly workers were subjected to "time shaving," where work hours were rounded down resulting in unpaid labor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees were allegedly not compensated for time spent on mandatory health screenings like temperature checks. Additionally, Castro accuses the company of failing to incorporate bonuses into regular pay rates when calculating overtime compensation. He also asserts that employees were routinely denied proper rest breaks and meal periods as required by law.
The lawsuit seeks various forms of relief from the court including unpaid wages, statutory penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), liquidated damages equal to unpaid wages, interest on these amounts, as well as costs associated with bringing the suit. It further demands civil penalties for each violation per employee under several sections of the Labor Code.
The case is being handled by Harout Messrelian from Messrelian Law Inc., representing Martin Castro and potentially thousands of affected employees in this class action suit. The case ID is 24CV449854.