HOUSTON – A printing press operator has filed a class-action lawsuit against his former Channelview employers over allegations that he was not compensated for all hours worked.
James Degarmo, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a complaint on July 20 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Tex-Trude LP, Tex-Trude Holdings Inc. and Charles Nettles Jr. alleging violation of Fair Labor Standards Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that he was employed by the defendants from September 2015 to May 2017. He alleges he was not paid a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all the time he actually worked and was not compensated at a rate of one-and-one-half times his regular hourly rate for each hour worked over 40 per week.
The plaintiff holds Tex-Trude LP, Tex-Trude Holdings Inc. and Nettles Jr. responsible because the defendants allegedly improperly calculated employees' hours worked by rounding hourly time to the lowest 15-minute increment.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks unpaid wages, liquidated damages, costs of court, expenses and attorneys’ fees, incentive award for the time spent pursuing the lawsuit and all further relief as the court deems just and proper. He is represented by Charles W. Branham III of Dean Omar & Branham LLP in Dallas.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:17-cv-02233