E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy Law Firm represents about 250 employees owed millions of dollars in unpaid wages
TROY – The E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy Law Firm has filed a class action complaint against the New York State Thruway Authority on behalf of approximately 250 Authority Managerial/Confidential (MC) employees collectively owed millions of dollars in unpaid wages, citing New York’s Wage Theft Prevention Act, breach of contract and constitutional violations.
The complaint states that in 2008, the Authority’s Board of Directors and Executive Director approved an increase in both the base salary and the salary schedule of MC employees for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, but that these salary increases were never paid and were illegally “rescinded” in 2015. This affected not only the employees’ immediate wages, but also had a negative impact on their retirement benefits. As a result, some employees have had to continue working past their planned retirement age. Collectively, the accumulated previous earned unpaid wages exceeds ten million dollars, and the loss of past and future retirement benefits is estimated to be more than five million dollars.
“There is absolutely no justification for denying these faithful employees payment of their previously earned wages,” said Attorney John F. Harwick, of the E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy Law Firm, who is representing the proposed class. “The New York State Thruway Authority promised its employees a certain compensation for their work, and while the employees performed their duties as expected, the Authority never delivered on its promise. The Thruway Authority needs to be held responsible for its actions and properly compensate these who worked — and in many cases, still work — hard every day.”
The complaint was filed in the United State District Court Northern District of New York and will be heard by Judge Lawrence Kahn.
About E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy: The January 2015 merger of the E. Stewart Jones and Hacker Murphy law firms created an entity with a combined 134-year track record of success in the Upstate New York legal community. With offices in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs, the firm’s 15 attorneys offer unparalleled legal counsel in the areas of commercial litigation, property tax dispute, criminal defense and personal injury law. For more information, visit www.joneshacker.com.