On February 26, 2020, couriers filed an overtime lawsuit against Associated Courier, Inc. d/b/a Street Fleet (“Street Fleet”). The couriers worked for the company delivering items such as auto parts and paperwork. The Complaint alleges Street Fleet misclassified couriers as independent contractors rather than employees and as a result did not pay them overtime compensation. The Complaint also details allegations of discriminatory treatment of immigrant and minority workers and retaliation toward couriers who lodged complaints with the company about its alleged unlawful practices.
The case is filed as a putative collective action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and as a class action under Minnesota overtime law. It seeks to include couriers who worked for the company within the past three years, and requests compensation for unpaid overtime, liquidated (double) damages, and other available relief.
One of the couriers’ attorneys, Michele R. Fisher of Nichols Kaster, PLLP, explained, “We believe Street Fleet misclassified couriers as independent contractors. This scheme denied these workers overtime pay they are entitled to receive under employee wage and hour laws. Street Fleet did not treat its couriers like owners of their own businesses. Rather, it controlled them as if they were its employees, but did not pay them the overtime pay to which employees are entitled to receive under the law. We seek to hold the company responsible for the overtime wages these couriers were denied and to get answers to questions about its pay practices that it retaliated against couriers for asking.”
Plaintiffs are represented by Michele R. Fisher of Nichols Kaster, PLLP, which has offices in Minnesota and California, and Joshua A. Newville of Madia Law, LLC in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The case is entitled, Abdul-Ahad et. al. v. Associated Courier, Inc. d/b/a Street Fleet, Case No. 0:20-cv-00607-PJS-HB (D. Minn.)
Street Fleet is a courier and delivery services company that operates in Minnesota and neighboring states.
Additional information about the case and how couriers can make a claim can be found at www.nka.com or by calling Nichols Kaster, PLLP toll free at (877) 344-4628, ext 267.