Alexandria Federal Court Approves $4.9 Million Class Action Settlement in Colombian Housekeepers Trafficking Case
After a fairness hearing, Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff of the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia issued an order approving the final settlement of a class-action lawsuit concerning Colombian nationals who worked as housekeepers at luxury hotels and resorts in the United States.
Murphy Anderson PLLC, along with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, 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 April 2024. The case involves the services of more than 200 Colombian nationals to work as housekeepers at MasterCorp-contracted hotel and resort properties across the country. The settlement requires MasterCorp to pay $4.9 million to the workers, including $1.65 million in attorneys’ fees.
The Complaint alleged the Defendants required the housekeepers to perform cleaning services under onerous working conditions, worked them up to 12–15 hours per day with no overtime pay, unlawful deducted money from their wages, and housed them in crowded motel rooms. The Complaint alleged Defendants threatened the housekeepers with financial penalties and immigration-related harm if they complained about their conditions or sought to leave. The housekeepers were nominally employed by Perennial Pete General Services LLC and related entities.
Murphy Anderson attorneys Mark Hanna and Nicolas Mendoza represent the workers. Lieff Cabraser attorneys Rachel Geman and Wesley Dozier are co-counsel.