Trucking company Lazer Spot, Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay overtime wages to its "yard jockeys", thereby violating federal and state wage laws.
The named plaintiffs, Nate Ruthven and Danielle Harmon, have accused the Georgia-based corporation of categorizing its yard spotters as exempt from overtime requirements under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Illinois and Missouri state law.
According to the complaint, Ruthven and Harmon, who were employed by Lazer Spot as yard spotters in Illinois and Missouri respectively, allege that they regularly worked between 10-12 hours a day, five to six days a week. Despite frequently working over 40 hours per week, the plaintiffs claim they were not paid time-and-a-half their regular rate for overtime work.
The case was filed in Chicago federal court on Jan. 15.
It seeks compensation under the FLSA as well as under Illinois Minimum Wage Law and Missouri Minimum Wage Law for the named plaintiffs and for all others who may have worked at Lazer Spot facilities in Illinois and Missouri.
Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys James B. Zouras, Ryan F. Stephan, Anna M. Ceragioli and Justin M. Carparco, of the firm of Stephan Zouras LLP, of Chicago.