Posted on 09/10/2001 4:24:30 PM PDT by sarcasm
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Two former employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (news/quote) (WMT.N) on Monday sued the retail powerhouse for allegedly forcing them to work unpaid overtime, using such tactics as locking them in stores after closing.
Filed in King County Superior Court here, the class action suit charged that store managers in Washington state, under pressure to lower costs, systematically refused to pay overtime wages and bullied employees into working through breaks and lunches.
``(The two former employees) were routinely required to skip rest breaks and lunches, attend meetings while clocked out, and were locked into the store overnight and not let out of the store until well after their shift had ended, even though they were required to clock out,'' the Seattle law firm of Tousley Brain Stephens said in a statement.
Wal-Mart spokesman Rob Phillips said the company had not seen details of the suit and could not comment on the case.
``But I certainly can tell you that our company policy is to pay our employees for all the time that they work,'' Phillips said. ``If we discover our policy has been violated, then we carry out internal disciplinary measures, including possible termination.''
The two former workers who sued are Debra Barnett of King County, where Seattle is located, and Tamra Moore of neighboring Snohomish County.
``Wal-Mart takes advantage of employees by requiring them to work without pay before and after their shifts, and during breaks,'' said attorney Chris Brain.
The company employs about 8,900 people in Washington's 30 Wal-Mart stores and two Sam's Club outlets, he said.
The suit does not specify damages but demands back wages for the hours employees worked without pay, the law firm said.
Lawyers had talked to about 30 current and former employees in Washington who were ``supportive'' of the case, and damages could potentially hit tens of millions of dollars, attorney Beth Terrell said.
It is not the first time the Bentonville, Arkansas company has run into legal trouble in Washington state.
Last December, the state took over Wal-Mart's workers' compensation program, accusing the company of failing to pay proper benefits to injured workers despite repeated warnings and fines.
What the public says about Wal-Mart associates pales in comparison to what Wal-Mart management says about them.
The manager was fired before the union vote, and they hired a new general manager who was the kind of guy you wanted in a trench next to you. The union was narrowly defeated, and the result of the ballot was so close that everyone who worked there got an immediate 20% raise. I never had any complaints after that.
During an employee meeting, the GM actually had to announce that, while he very much appreciated the dedication that was being displayed, there was no way he could permit anyone to continue to work without compensation. The employees reluctantly complied.
And that, as this sailors say, is a no sh!##er%.
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