Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
New York, NY – In mid January, a New York federal court granted final approval to a $1.2 million deal between TruGreen Landcare LLC and foreign workers who say the company failed to pay minimum wage by not reimbursing visa and travel costs, although the court kept the attorney fee portion of the case alive.U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman signed off on the settlement for class members, which may be worth up to $1,234,750, depending on how many class members file claims, reports Law360.”The court previously found that the terms of the settlement agreement appeared to be fair, reasonable and adequate and, in the absence of any objections from class members, the court sees no reason to alter that conclusion,” Judge Feldman wrote.
The judge, however, declined to greenlight the $565,000 in fees and costs requested by class counsel on Thursday, saying the court would hold a hearing on that portion of the settlement.
The suit dates back to March 2010, when lead plaintiff Otoniel Sosa Teoba, a Mexican citizen who was temporarily employed by TruGreen through the federal H-2B visa program, filed suit against the commercial landscaping provider, according to Law360.
The case is Sosa Teoba v. Trugreen Landcare LLC, case number 6:10-cv-06132, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.