A Pennsylvania resident is suing his Tennessee-based employer, alleging labor law violations.
Jason Slawson of Dunmore, Pa., individually and on behalf of others similarly situated, filed a lawsuit Aug. 3 against Cellular Sales of Knoxville Inc., based in Tennessee and doing business in Louisiana, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleging ongoing FLSA infringement starting in 2012.
According to the complaint, Cellular Sales is an authorized retailer of Verizon wireless products operating more than 600 stores across 28 states including Louisiana. The suit states Slawson, an inventory clerk, was required to work a minimum of 40 hours weekly, often worked an average of 45 hours per week, and was not compensated at 1 1/2 times their regular hourly rate for time worked in excess of 40 hours.
The suit states Slawson and all current and former employees who worked for Cellular Sales from three years prior to the filing to the present were classified as salaried employees until March, when the defendant switched their status to hourly.
The plaintiff alleges that prior to March, no system existed for employees to log their hours accurately and the defendant willfully and intentionally denied them the legal pay rate. Slawson says he and the other putative class members were non-exempt employees.
Slawson seeks unpaid overtime wages, liquidated damages, attorneys fees, expenses and court costs. He is represented by attorney Alan Kansas of The Law Office of Alan Kansas in Terrytown.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:15-cv-03191-HGB-SS.