Catherine Andrews, a former nurse at Northwestern Medicine, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the healthcare giant, alleging systematic wage theft. Filed on March 28, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the complaint accuses Northwestern Medicine of violating federal and state labor laws by failing to compensate nurses for all hours worked and not providing legally mandated breaks.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Catherine Andrews on behalf of herself and similarly situated individuals, targets Northwestern Medicine's practice of automatically deducting 30-minute lunch breaks from nurses' work hours, regardless of whether these breaks were actually taken. Andrews contends that this policy resulted in nurses being unpaid for time they were still performing duties. "Plaintiff was rarely, if ever, completely relieved of her duties," the complaint states. This practice allegedly contravenes the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), and Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA). Furthermore, since January 1, 2023, under the Illinois One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA), employees working shifts longer than twelve hours are entitled to an additional twenty-minute break—a provision that Andrews claims was ignored by Northwestern Medicine.
Andrews seeks judgment for back pay covering three years preceding the filing date, liquidated damages equal to unpaid wages under FLSA guidelines, prejudgment interest on unpaid wages, attorney fees and costs associated with filing the suit. The complaint also demands injunctive relief to prevent further violations by Northwestern Medicine. The plaintiff argues that these practices affected potentially thousands of current and former nurses across eleven hospitals operated by Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and its suburbs.
Represented by Matthew Fletcher from The Garfinkel Group LLC., Andrews aims to maintain this lawsuit as both a collective action under FLSA and a class action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. She alleges that Northwestern Medicine's failure to provide agreed-upon wages constitutes a breach under IWPCA. Additionally, she claims statutory damages for each violation related to missed meal breaks as per ODRISA amendments effective January 2023.
The Case ID is: 1:25-cv-03372. Attorney Matthew Fletcher leads the legal battle for Andrews against Northwestern Medicine’s alleged systemic wage violations.