Wind turbine maker International Wind has been hit with a class action accusing them of failing to pay workers overtime, or reimburse their business-related expenses, among other alleged violations of California labor law.
The lawsuit was originally filed in Orange County Superior Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It alleges violations of California labor law and the state's unfair business practices law. It specifically alleges the company failed to pay the minimum wage and failed to provide accurate wage statements to employees.
It also accuses International Wind of failure to provide required "duty-free" rest breaks and failing to provide an extra hour's pay for each missed rest break.
Although the company provided bonuses, it allegedly did not include those payments when calculating overtime pay, the suit says. Employees were not reimbursed for clothing and cell phones required for their jobs.
Employees "were often required to arrive at work early and start work immediately upon arrival, which was prior to the scheduled shift and therefore unpaid," the lawsuit states.
Some employees were also required to work seven days a week without a day off. They were required to "drive from one location to the other while off the clock and uncompensated," the suit says.
It seeks unpaid wages, damages and attorney fees.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Kane Moon, Lilit Ter-Astvatsatryan and Yudi “Annie” Ruan, of Moon Law Group PC, of Los Angeles.
Burin v. International Wind Inc., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 2:23-cv-09935