Eight Fresno County Firefighters File FLSA Suit
Eight part-time paid on call Fresno County firefighters who were terminated for refusing to sign a form stating that they were volunteers have filed suit in Federal Court alleging violations of the...
View ArticleHonolulu Medics Allege FLSA Overtime Violations
EMTs and paramedics have filed a Fair Labor Standards suit against the city and county of Honolulu claiming they have been wrongfully denied overtime compensation. The suit was filed in U.S. District...
View ArticleNorth Kingstown Ruling a Victory for Firefighters
North Kingstown Firefighters, IAFF Local 1651 have won another round in their protracted battle with the town. Earlier this year the town unilaterally changed the shifts and the hours of the...
View ArticleCompensation for On Call Time
Today’s Burning Question: I work for a combination department. We have paid staff from 0700 to midnight, supplemented by volunteers. Our chief assigns the paid staff to be on call three times a month...
View ArticlePittsburgh Settles FLSA Overtime Suit By Officers
The city of Pittsburgh has settled a class action lawsuit filed in federal court by fire officers claiming they were wrongfully denied overtime compensation. The suit was originally brought last...
View ArticleOvertime, Straight Time, or No Time
Today’s burning question: My fire department works a three shift schedule on a 12 day pay cycle. We work four complete 24 hour tours during this time for a total of 96 hours. We get paid overtime for...
View ArticleNK Firefighters Victorious Yet Again
Not to be remiss in reporting important fire law headlines, North Kingstown Firefighters IAFF Local 1651 have won another round of their epic battle with the town of North Kingstown by prevailing at...
View ArticleCompensated Volunteers Ruled Employees under FLSA and FLMA
The 6th Circuit handed down a ruling last week holding that volunteer firefighters who receive hourly compensation of $15 are employees for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Family...
View ArticleNorth Kingstown Files Hail Mary Suit to Block Labor Board Ruling
The seemingly simple case about whether an employer can unilaterally add 14 extra hours to its employees’ workweek without bargaining… an issue so simple that even those who never studied labor law...
View ArticleState Labor Board Rules North Kingstown Guilty of Bad Faith Bargaining
The long awaited written decision by the Rhode Island State Labor Board has been issued and it is a ringing victory for the beleaguered North Kingstown Firefighters, IAFF Local 1651, and a stinging...
View ArticleCalifornia Police Fire Wars Arrest and South Carolina Overtime
Its been a busy week fire law wise with a number of stories breaking that are certainly of great interest. So many cases…. so little time…. Let’s start with the newest police fire wars case, this one...
View ArticleSavannah Captains Sue Over Pay Differential
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the City of Savannah by fifty fire captains who are claiming the city has been underpaying them, in some cases paying them less than their subordinates....
View ArticleKC EMS Personnel Not Dual Trained for FLSA Purposes
A plan by the Kansas City (MO) Fire Department to incorporate EMS personnel into the department and require them to work 53 hours per week instead of 40 hours has been found to run afoul of the Fair...
View ArticleTucson Sued Over Breast Milk Accommodation
A paramedic with the Tucson Fire Department has filed suit claiming the department has wrongfully refused her requests to be assigned to a fire station that could accommodate her need to express breast...
View ArticleLouisiana Lawsuit Settled Over Raise Calculation
Sulphur Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 3765 and the City of Sulphur, Louisiana have reached a settlement in their lawsuit that dates back to 2008. The lawsuit accused the city of...
View ArticleFLSA 20% Rule
Today’s Burning Question: How does the FLSA 20% rule with regard to volunteers work? We are having a debate over this at our department and our Firehouse Lawyers seem to disagree. Answer: The FLSA’s...
View ArticleIndiana Retirees Settle Severance Lawsuit
A lawsuit filed last year over severance pay for seven retired Logansport, Indiana firefighters has been settled, but the decision has the local media asking a lot of questions. Logansport firefighters...
View ArticleKey Largo Volunteer Not an Employee under FLSA
At what point does a volunteer firefighter who receives some nominal compensation for his services become an underpaid employee entitled to at least minimum wage? That question was recently put to the...
View ArticleEight Fresno County Firefighters File FLSA Suit
Eight part-time paid on call Fresno County firefighters who were terminated for refusing to sign a form stating that they were volunteers have filed suit in Federal Court alleging violations of the...
View ArticleHonolulu Medics Allege FLSA Overtime Violations
EMTs and paramedics have filed a Fair Labor Standards suit against the city and county of Honolulu claiming they have been wrongfully denied overtime compensation. The suit was filed in U.S. District...
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