FLSA Non-exempt Employees to Receive Back Pay on August 11, 2011 –
Back Pay the result of NWSEO Grievance Settlement
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(May 25, 2011) The National Finance Center is scheduled to distribute back pay to FLSA non-exempt employees on Pay Period 15. Employees will begin receiving their payment on August 11, 2011.
In October 2010, NWSEO and NWS reached final settlement of a grievance which challenged the FLSA exempt status of 185 bargaining unit employees. A total of 161 employees were improperly exempted from coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Those employees will now be paid at time and one-half of their normal hourly rates for overtime worked.
The NWS has also agreed to pay those 161 employees lost overtime wages plus an equal amount of damages for all overtime worked since August 2007. These employees will receive the difference between the lower “Title 5 overtime rate” at which they were paid for these overtime hours (which in many cases was the employee’s straight time rate) and true time and one-half. In addition, the employees will receive an equal amount as liquidated damages for the delay in payment and interest.
Many different occupational categories were included in this grievance. However, the major groups of employees involved include GS-11 Facilities Engineering Technicians and GS-12 Regional Maintenance Specialists. All affected employees have been personally notified by the union.
“This is the result of NWSEO’s diligent and persistent efforts to make sure that every employee entitled to the FLSA non-exempt status be correctly classified,” said NWSEO President Dan Sobien. “Through this work and the strength of our union membership, we are able to put several hundred-thousand dollars back into the pockets of NWS employees.”
NWSEO is the only organization with the ability to lobby Congress and the Administration to preserve NWS jobs, promote better working conditions and career promotions for NWS, and participate in collective bargaining.
For more information on the FLSA settlement visit: http://nwseo.org/Member_News/Final_Settlement_Overtime.php
-NWSEO-