GALVESTON – A Galveston County woman employed as a nurse alleges that she and other nurses worked during meal times without appropriate compensation.
Sandra Kim individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated filed a complaint on May 3 in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division against University of Texas Medical Branch alleging that the employer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that the defendant does not provide bona fide meal periods for its nonexempt nurses. She alleges the defendant automatically deducted 30 minutes from nurses' shifts for a meal period when the nurses remained on duty during that time. The suit states she was employed by the defendant from September 2010 to April.
The plaintiff holds University of Texas Medical Branch responsible because the defendant allegedly automatically deducted 30 minutes meal period from its employees shifts and failed to pay the applicable overtime and hourly rates.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks an order designating this action as a collective action, award for all unpaid wages plus liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, costs and expenses. She is represented by Brian B. Winegar and Helen Ono West of The Buckley Law Group in Houston.
Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 3:17-cv-00147