Pa. Campaign Organizers File DNC Overtime Class Action Lawsuit

Just one day after the election, campaign workers filed a DNC overtime class action lawsuit saying they were forced to work 80 to 90 hours a week and were not paid overtime by the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee, and through it, by the Democratic National Committee.

Led by plaintiff Bethany Katz, the DNC overtime class action lawsuit claims she and her fellow organizers spent a lot of time on the phone, soliciting volunteers and assisting voters with registration.

Katz, a Democratic campaign organizer, said she was hired in June to assist in a “nationally coordinated Democratic ‘ground game’ which sought to increase the Democratic vote.”

DNC Overtime Class Action Lawsuit Allegations

According to the DNC overtime class action lawsuit, Katz says she and other campaign organizers typically worked 80 to 90 hours a week, on the job seven days a week, often putting in 12- to 14-hour days.

“Rather than hiring additional staff to reduce the extraordinary workload assigned to organizers, and rather than paying overtime as required by the FLSA, defendants instead willfully engaged in a course of conduct in violation of state and federal law by requiring organizers to work long hours without providing any overtime compensation to organizers,” alleged Katz in the complaint.

The DNC overtime class action lawsuit seeks class action status on behalf of all DNC campaign organizers working within the last three years, and says the committees erroneously classified Katz and other organizers as exempt employees, meaning they would not be eligible for overtime because their jobs were administrative or managerial.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, the DNC overtime class action lawsuit said that by not paying overtime, the party violated the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act and the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act.

States Challenge New Overtime Rule

Interestingly enough, in September, 21 states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor over a new rule that would extend mandatory overtime pay to more than four million workers.

The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court, seeks to block the law before it goes into effect Dec 1. The measure would make any exempt employees, including those who perform executive, administrative or professional duties, eligible for overtime.

Under current Fair Labor Standards Act rules, “employees who are paid less than $23,600 per year ($455 per week) are nonexempt” and qualify for paid overtime.

Under the new rule, overtime protections would apply to workers who make up to $913 a week, or $47,476 a year, and the threshold would readjust every three years to reflect changes in average wages.

The Labor Department announced the new rule in May, saying it would result in “a meaningful boost to many workers’ wallets.”

Filing an Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit

If you feel that your employer has violated state or federal employment laws, you may qualify for damages that may be awarded in a possible wage and hour class action lawsuit or civil action lawsuit.

The DNC Overtime Class Action Lawsuit is Bethany Katz v. DNC Services Corporation et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-05800 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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