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Monday, 23 September 2013

Amazon workers are suing the online retailer for off-the-clock theft and security checks

A group of Amazon employees in Murfreesboro filed a class-action lawsuit in Nashville Thursday regarding pay for off-the-clock theft checks.

The employees filed suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville, saying they aren't paid for the time it takes to go through security before and after their shifts.

The lawsuit,
titled Suggars, et al. v. Amazon.com Inc., et al., has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville.

Employees are ultimately seeking payment, including overtime pay, for all hourly workers who are required to engage in the time-intensive security measures without pay.

Nashville attorney David Garrison, who represents the workers, said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that an Amazon workplace in Nevada had to pay their workers for the theft check. 

"We think the courts here should follow that decision," Garrison said in a release.

He filed the lawsuit last week, and filed a motion Thursday for class-action status.

The release also said three workers filed a motion requesting a federal court issue a notice to thousands of current and former Amazon workers in Murfreesboro to inform of their right to file a claim for unpaid wages.

They are represented by Nashville law firm Barrett Johnson and Winebrake & Santillo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was  also said an Amazon spokeswoman had no comment Thursday. Once employees clock out during their unpaid lunch breaks and at the end of the day, they must go through a 20 to 30 minute theft check by security.