Chicago Horse & Carriage faces class action suit over minimum wage, overtime claim

A horse-drawn carriage chauffeur is suing her employer in a class action lawsuit over claims employees were not paid minimum wage or overtime.

Katherine M. Costa, individually and on behalf of a class of employees similarly situated, filed a lawsuit Sept. 2 in Cook County Circuit Court against Chicago Horse & Carriage, and Larry F. and Stacey Ortega, alleging violations of the Illinois Illinois Minimum Wage Law.

According to the complaint, Costa was employed as a horse-drawn carriage chauffeur for the Ortega's business, Chicago Horse & Carriage, which Costa says has failed to pay employees minimum wage and overtime.

Costa also claims employees are not compensated for time traveling to and from the defendants' depot and that the defendants fail to keep records of tips, falsely treating employees as independent contractors.

Costa is seeking back wages, plus a late penalty and court costs. She is represented by attorney Ernest T. Rossiello of Ernest T. Rossiello & Associates in Chicago.

The case number is Cook County Circuit Court case 2014CH14191.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it only represents one side of the story.