Snider and Associates settles $3.8 million National Collective Action on behalf of janitorial workers

            On September 30, 2009, The Honorable Peter J. Messitte of the United States District Court for the District Of Maryland granted final approval of the settlement reached in Yuri Torres Gonzales et al., v. Prestige Maintenance USA et al,. The Plaintiffs were represented by lead counsel Michael J. Snider and Allan Feldman of Snider & Associates, LLC, and by co-lead counsel Andreas N. Akaras of the Akaras Law Offices. Defendant Prestige Maintenance USA, a commercial janitorial services company operating in 24 states was represented by Michael J. Mueller of Hunton & Williams (previously with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP).

            The named Plaintiffs in this controversy alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act on behalf of themselves and on behalf of a class of individuals that potentially numbered 7,500 laborers. The value of the settlement was assessed at $3,800,000.00. Prestige has also voluntarily changed its time tracking practices to better record the time actually worked by its current and future employees.

            As part of the settlement terms, Plaintiffs secured a $25,000.00 charitable contribution for CASA of Maryland. Plaintiffs and their counsel are particularly pleased that Prestige’s charitable award will support CASA’s noble mission to defend workers’ rights and promote justice in the workplace for all Americans. The charitable contribution will be given to CASA at a luncheon ceremony to be held at Casa’s Maryland Headquarters. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to ask Plaintiffs’ counsel questions about the nature of their work and their commitment to civil rights. You may obtain further details about this lawsuit, the Fair Labor Standards Act or about any of the other ongoing collective action lawsuits currently being prosecuted by the attorneys who handled this litigation by contacting:

Michael J. Snider, Esquire

Andreas N. Akaras, Esquire