On December 11, 2017, two employees filed suit against their former employers, KeyTronicEMS and CDR Manufacturing, Inc. d/b/a Ayrshire Electronics (“Defendants”) in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The case was filed as a collective and class action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act. The Complaint was brought on behalf of all employees who worked as warehouse associates, materials handlers, machine operators, assemblers, component prep handlers, or other similar job titles (collectively “manufacturing associates”).
The Complaint alleges that Defendants did not pay its manufacturing associates for all of their hours worked in violation of state and federal law. Specifically, these employees were not paid for the time they spent putting on and taking off protective gear that they were required to wear to perform their job duties. They were also not paid for time spent waiting in line for clearance to work in a clean room. The named plaintiffs seek unpaid wages and liquidated (double) damages.
Brittany B. Skemp, an attorney for the Plaintiffs, stated, “often times employers think they can cut corners and not pay their employees for certain tasks, such as donning and doffing protective gear. But the time it takes to put this gear on adds up, and it is unfair that these employees do not get paid for this time. It is our hope we can recover these unpaid wages for our clients, and stop KeyTronicEMS from this practice in the future.”
Plaintiffs are represented by Rebekah L. Bailey and Brittany B. Skemp of Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis, and Richard A. Williams of R.A. Williams Law Firm, P.A. in St. Paul. The case is entitled, Vang et al. v. KeyTronicEMS and CDR Manufacturing, Inc. d/b/a Ayrshire Electronics. Case No. 0:17-cv-05408 (District of Minnesota).
Additional information about the case can be found at www.nka.com or by contacting Nichols Kaster, PLLP toll free at (877) 344-4628.