A laborer has filed a collective action lawsuit against his former employer, alleging violations of federal labor laws. Manuel Fernandez Vargas initiated the complaint on March 13, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against Specialty Industrial, LLC. The lawsuit claims that the company failed to pay overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
According to the complaint, Manuel Fernandez Vargas worked as a laborer for Specialty Industrial from December 2023 to December 2024. He alleges that during his employment, he and other similarly situated employees were not compensated for overtime hours worked beyond forty hours per week. The complaint details that these employees performed various services such as sandblasting and specialty coating application but were paid only their regular hourly rate or day rate without any overtime premium. "Plaintiff was paid $1,098.00 on May 10, 2024, at a rate of $18.00 per hour, for working sixty-one (61) hours during the workweek," states the filing.
The plaintiff argues that Specialty Industrial engaged in practices designed to circumvent its obligations under the FLSA. These included reducing hourly rates when paying overtime and rounding down workers' time records so that they did not reflect actual hours worked. The complaint also accuses Specialty Industrial of misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid paying overtime wages.
Vargas is seeking judgment in favor of himself and other affected employees for unpaid back wages and liquidated damages equal to the unpaid compensation. Additionally, he requests an order recognizing this proceeding as a collective action under §216(b) of the FLSA and authorizing preliminary discovery to determine if other employees are similarly situated.
The case is being handled by attorneys Philip Bohrer and Scott E. Brady from Bohrer Brady, LLC, along with Pablo Isaza from Sardi Isaza Law LC. It is presided over by Judge Shelly D. Dick with Case ID: 3:25-cv-00214-SDD-SDJ.