Guzman-Reina v. ABCO Maintenance, Inc., and James Virga, individually, Thomas Virga, individually, and Pete Ghazarian, individually Case No.: 17-cv-01299

Judge grants Conditional Certification of Collective Action in the Eastern District of New York
Guzman-Reina v. ABCO Maintenance, Inc., and James Virga, individually, Thomas Virga, individually, and Pete Ghazarian, individually. Case No.: 17-cv-01299

On March 7, 2017, Lead Plaintiff Ms. Guzman-Reina, on behalf of herself and those similarly situated, filed a class and collective action lawsuit in United States District Court – Eastern District of New York against ABCO Maintenance, Inc., and James Virga, individually, Thomas Virga, individually, and Pete Ghazarian, individually. The complaint alleges as follows:

Ms. Guzman-Reina worked for Defendants — a full service commercial maintenance company that provides general construction, repairs, and scheduled maintenance for its clients – as a dispatcher from September 23, 2013 through May 2, 2016. From around February 2014 until the end of her employment, Defendants required Plaintiff to work between forty-five and fifty hours per week, and, on most occasions, intentionally failed to compensate her at any rate of pay, and on some occasions simply paid her straight-time for some hours worked over forty. By purposefully failing to pay Plaintiff the statutorily-required overtime rate of one-half her straight-time rate of pay for any hour that she worked in excess of forty, Defendants willfully violated Plaintiff’s rights guaranteed to her under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) as well as the New York Labor Law (“NYLL”). Further transgressing the law, Defendants neglected to provide Plaintiff with proper wage statements on each payday or with an accurate wage notice at the time of hire.

With respect to the claim that Defendants paid and treated all of their dispatchers in the same manner, Plaintiff filed a collective certification motion pursuant to the collective action provisions of the FLSA. Accordingly, on March 5, 2018, Judge Peggy Kuo, granted the conditional certification of a class collective action and authorized the parties to send out notice to all putative members.

If you worked as a dispatcher for ABCO Maintenance, Inc. at any time between March 7, 2014 to the present, you might be entitled to join a lawsuit seeking back pay for wage violations. For additional details, including how to join, please view the notice below. If you have any information that may be relevant to this case, please contact Borrelli & Associates, P.L.L.C. as soon as possible through one of our websites, www.employmentlawyernewyork.com or www.516abogado.com, or any of our phone numbers: (516) 248-5550, (516) ABOGADO, or (212) 679-5000.

Read: Court Stipulation and Proposed Order
Read: Court Authorized Notice of Lawsuit
Read: Reminder Notice

Recent Posts

What are the Legal Implications of Employee Handbooks in New York?

Employee handbooks are more than just guides for workplace policies. They can have real legal…

5 days ago

Judge grants Conditional Certification of Collective Action in the United States District Court Southern District of New York

Alonzo Baez v. Mariscos Ramirez, Inc. d/b/a Marisco Centro and Zolio Ramirez a/k/a Chelo Ramirez,…

6 days ago

What Should You Know about Remote Work Agreements in New York?

Remote work has become a permanent part of the employment landscape, especially in New York.…

3 weeks ago

Are Workplace Dress Codes Legal in New York?

In New York, many employers still enforce dress codes, even in today’s more casual work…

4 weeks ago

Understanding the Rights of Gig Economy Workers Under New York Employment Law

The gig economy has changed the way many people in New York earn a living.…

2 months ago

Are Workplace Confidentiality Agreements Enforceable in New York?

Confidentiality agreements have become a standard part of many workplaces. Employers often use them to…

2 months ago