WAL-MART TO PAY UP $78M
WAL-MART TO PAY UP $78M
Bloomberg
October 14, 2006 -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owes workers in Pennsylvania $78.5 million for missed rest breaks and hours worked beyond regular shifts, a jury ruled, handing the world's largest retailer its second such trial loss in less than a year.
Jurors in Philadelphia awarded the damages Thursday at the end of a six-week trial over workers' pay starting in 1998. After hearing arguments yesterday on how much money to award, the jurors needed just two hours to accept a figure proposed by the workers' lawyers in the class-action suit.
The verdict is Wal-Mart's second multi-million- dollar loss in 10 months in employee group lawsuits over wages. In December, a jury awarded $172.3 million to California workers for missed meal breaks. More than 70 such actions have been filed against the Bentonville, Ark., company.
During this case, former Wal-Mart employees testified they were pressured by store managers to skip breaks and cut meals short. Two cashiers claimed they were locked in stores after their shifts ended and forced to restock merchandise before they could leave.
Lawyers for the lead plaintiffs, Dolores Hummel, 53, and Michele Braun, 27, are seeking $62 million in addition to back pay. Under Pennsylvania law, each person in the class, put at 186,979 by lawyers, can receive $500 beyond actual damages, said Michael Donovan, their attorney.
Donovan said he expects Judge Mark Bernstein to decide on those damages at a later date.
"These women have been vindicated, and the people who had the nerve to call them liars now have to eat their words," said Judy Spanier, another of their attorneys.The women's lawyers claimed Wal-Mart made Pennsylvania workers skip more than 33 million rest breaks from 1998 to 2001 to boost productivity and curb costs.
Shares of Wal-Mart rose 14 cents yesterday to $48.46 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bloomberg
October 14, 2006 -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owes workers in Pennsylvania $78.5 million for missed rest breaks and hours worked beyond regular shifts, a jury ruled, handing the world's largest retailer its second such trial loss in less than a year.
Jurors in Philadelphia awarded the damages Thursday at the end of a six-week trial over workers' pay starting in 1998. After hearing arguments yesterday on how much money to award, the jurors needed just two hours to accept a figure proposed by the workers' lawyers in the class-action suit.
The verdict is Wal-Mart's second multi-million- dollar loss in 10 months in employee group lawsuits over wages. In December, a jury awarded $172.3 million to California workers for missed meal breaks. More than 70 such actions have been filed against the Bentonville, Ark., company.
During this case, former Wal-Mart employees testified they were pressured by store managers to skip breaks and cut meals short. Two cashiers claimed they were locked in stores after their shifts ended and forced to restock merchandise before they could leave.
Lawyers for the lead plaintiffs, Dolores Hummel, 53, and Michele Braun, 27, are seeking $62 million in addition to back pay. Under Pennsylvania law, each person in the class, put at 186,979 by lawyers, can receive $500 beyond actual damages, said Michael Donovan, their attorney.
Donovan said he expects Judge Mark Bernstein to decide on those damages at a later date.
"These women have been vindicated, and the people who had the nerve to call them liars now have to eat their words," said Judy Spanier, another of their attorneys.The women's lawyers claimed Wal-Mart made Pennsylvania workers skip more than 33 million rest breaks from 1998 to 2001 to boost productivity and curb costs.
Shares of Wal-Mart rose 14 cents yesterday to $48.46 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
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