An employee of Universal City Studios has filed a lawsuit against the company, citing various labor violations, including failure to pay minimum wages, provide proper meal periods, issue accurate wage statements, and timely pay earned wages.
Atiba Clarke filed a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Universal City Studios and several unnamed individuals, alleging violations of the state Labor Code. The lawsuit was removed to federal court in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 31.
The lawsuit was brought under California's controversial Private Attorney General Act, which empowers individual workers to stand in place of state labor officials in bringing enforcement actions against employers accused of violating provisions of California's labor laws. The law, however, has been criticized as a way for private trial lawyers to rake in attorney fees through the lawsuits aimed at California businesses, while delivering relatively less benefit to workers.
According to court documents, Clarke is an employee of Universal City Studios and accuses the company of several violations of labor laws, including failure to pay wages for all hours worked at minimum wage, failure to provide legally required and compliant meal periods, failure to provide accurate wage statements, and failure to timely pay earned wages during employment and at the time of termination/resignation.
Clarkes claims that Universal regularly requires employees to undergo off-the-clock procedures, such as security checks and uniform changes, before and after officially clocking in for their shifts. Additionally, Universal allegedly discourages employees from taking off-premises meal breaks, subjecting them to control during these breaks without proper compensation.
Clarke is seeking civil penalties of up to $1000 for each employee per violation, plus attorneys' fees, court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. He is represented in this case by attorneys Joseph Lavi, Vincent C. Granberry, and Courtney M. Miller of Lavi & Ebrahimian, LLP, in Beverly Hills.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:23-cv-09167