Facts

Santos Garcia was a truck driver for Evans Delivery Company. He was paid for his employment on a piece-rate basis, i.e. he was paid based on transporting a load from one point to another. Based on his dissatisfaction with his pay basis and other practices surrounding his compensation, Garcia initiated a class action lawsuit against Evans Delivery Company asserting various Labor Code and statutory claims.

PLAINTIFFS' CONTENTIONS: Plaintiffs contended that defendants committed various Labor Code and Private Attorneys General Act violations. In addition to failing to pay for expenditures made by plaintiffs as part of their employment duties, defendants did not provide plaintiffs with rest and meal periods as required by law. Plaintiffs' wage statements were also inaccurately calculated and not properly itemized by defendants. Defendants failed to provide plaintiffs with the full amount of their earned wages due to unnecessary deductions to their pay. Defendants also failed to provide timely wage payments to plaintiffs upon their termination. Plaintiffs contended that defendants' conduct constituted unlawful business practices and warranted damages from defendants to plaintiffs.

DEFENDANTS' CONTENTIONS: Defendants denied the contentions and asserted that plaintiffs and the class they sought to represent were properly classified as independent contractors and treated consistent with the contractual relationships between the parties.

Result

The court approved a $2,800,000 settlement between the parties.