Plaintiffs Oleg Tereshkun, Roman Yermak, Liubomyr Ostashuk, and others have filed a class and collective action lawsuit against KLM Trans, Inc., Ihor Kotsyulym, and Viktor Kotsyulym in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Case No. 1:24-cv-04000) on May 15, 2024. The lawsuit alleges that KLM Trans misclassified its delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of employees and made unlawful deductions from their wages.
The plaintiffs argue that KLM Trans required them to bear expenses such as workers' compensation insurance and maintenance costs which should have been covered by the company. Represented by attorneys Bradley Manewith from Lichten & Liss-Riordan, P.C., they claim that these practices led to violations of both Illinois and federal minimum wage laws. The plaintiffs further allege that they were not compensated for their final weeks of work.
The plaintiffs seek restitution for all unlawful deductions and expenses incurred due to KLM Trans's policies. They also demand payment for unpaid wages, liquidated damages under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), prejudgment interest, statutory damages, attorney’s fees, and other related costs.