Murphy Anderson and Lieff Cabraser Bring Labor Trafficking Wage Theft Case in Federal Court for Colombian Housekeepers
Murphy Anderson PLLC along with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein today filed a Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA) / Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) case along with a motion to approve a settlement agreement in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Virginia. The case involves the transportation of over 200 Colombian nationals to work as housekeepers at MasterCorp-serviced hotel and resort properties across the country.
The Complaint alleges the housekeepers performed cleaning services under onerous working conditions; worked up to 12–15 hours per day with no overtime wages; had unlawful deductions taken from their wages; and were housed in crowded motel rooms. The Complaint alleges that these housekeepers were threatened with, and in some cases incurred, penalties of at least $1,500 in wages if they complained about the conditions or sought to leave, and that they were also threatened with immigration-related harm if they complained or quit. The housekeepers were nominally employed by Perennial Pete General Services LLC and related entities.
The settlement agreement reached with MasterCorp, if approved by the Court, results in the class receiving $4.95 million. Upon approval of the settlement, a website will be made available for eligible workers to make claims.
Murphy Anderson attorneys Mark Hanna, Nicolas Mendoza and Nicole Rubin represented the workers. Lieff Cabraser attorneys Rachel Geman and Wesley Dozier are co-counsel.