Albany, NY – A federal judge has rejected a bid by TRC Engineers, LLC to throw out a proposed class action wage lawsuit, ruling that the claims brought by an employee under federal and state labor laws can move forward.
The case, filed by Thomas Euson Jr. on behalf of himself and others, accuses the engineering firm of failing to pay overtime wages and of violating New York’s labor laws on wage frequency. Euson claims that employees regularly performed uncompensated work before and after shifts, including unloading, charging, and reloading specialized equipment. He also alleges the company unlawfully paid manual workers bi-weekly instead of weekly.
TRC Engineers moved to dismiss, arguing that Euson’s overtime allegations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) were too vague, that the court lacked jurisdiction over the New York claims, and that the state’s labor law does not provide a private right of action for pay frequency violations. The company also challenged jurisdiction over out-of-state workers.
In a September 8 decision, Judge Glenn T. Suddaby of the Northern District of New York denied the motion in full. The ruling keeps alive all three of Euson’s claims — overtime under the FLSA, overtime under New York Labor Law, and a wage frequency claim under NYLL § 191 — while also preserving the possibility of class-wide relief.
The case, Euson v. TRC Engineers, LLC (5:24-CV-1168), will now proceed to discovery.
Key Points
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- TRC Engineers sought dismissal of a proposed wage-and-hour class action.
- A judge denied the motion, allowing claims under FLSA and NYLL to proceed.
- Plaintiff alleges unpaid overtime and improper bi-weekly pay practices for manual workers.
The decision sets the stage for a broader legal fight over TRC’s pay practices in New York and potentially beyond.