University of Michigan Law School
Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse
HOME
ABOUT
FOR TEACHERS
SEARCH
QUESTIONS
RECENT ADDITIONS
feedback/
suggestions
log in/
register
Case Profile
new search
page permalink
Case Name
Xavier v. Belfor USA Group Inc.
IM-LA-0006
Docket / Court
2:06-cv-00491-GTP-DEK ( E.D. La. )
State/Territory
Louisiana
Case Type(s)
Immigration and/or the Border
Attorney Organization
Southern Poverty Law Center
Case Summary
On February 1, 2006, attorneys with the Immigrant Justice Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana filed a class action lawsuit in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on behalf of over 1000 workers employed by Belfor USA ...
read more >
On February 1, 2006, attorneys with the Immigrant Justice Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana filed a class action lawsuit in the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on behalf of over 1000 workers employed by Belfor USA Group, Inc., a major natural disaster reconstruction firm that provided rebuilding services in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Plaintiffs alleged that Defendant and its subcontractors had exploited Plaintiffs, most of whom were poor migrants who did not speak English, by making them work seven days a week, 12 hours a day, in poor conditions, restoring and cleaning buildings and other property contaminated by mold, flood water and/or smoke. Plaintiffs alleged that the employment practices of Defendant violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §201 et seq. by grossly under paying them and denying them overtime pay.
Shortly after the initial lawsuit was filed, Plaintiffs settled the case with Defendant, who agreed to pay all unpaid overtime wages plus additional penalties (totaling 145% of wages owed), and to change certain business practices to ensure all workers on future Belfor projects were paid according to the FLSA. The District Court (Judge Jay C. Zainey) approved the settlement on September 7, 2006, and certified the case as a collective action under the FLSA, with a class defined as all individuals employed by any subcontractors on Belfor projects in the Gulf Coast arising from storm damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Affected employees were given one year to opt into the class and accept the settlement amount.
After the initial case was settled, a separate suit, Obando et al v. Belfor USA Group, Inc., case # 2:06-cv-07804-GTP-DEK, was filed against Belfor for claims that arose before and after the Hurricane Katrina clean up in other states, other projects not covered by the Xavier v. Belfor USA Group, Inc. Docket 2:06-cv-00491-GTP-DEK, and any individuals not included in the Settlement Class. On March 13, 2007, the Obando suit was consolidated with Xavier v. Belfor USA Group, Inc. and all further pleadings bore the consolidated case #06-cv-00491. The Obando plaintiffs sought certification of a nationwide class action for alleged violations by Belfor and its subcontractors of the FLSA and the wage and hour laws of California, Illinois, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. A third amended complaint was filed on May 10, 2007.
Defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint. Plaintiffs responded by filing an opposition memorandum with attached exhibits. Defendants moved to strike the exhibits from plaintiffs' response. The District Court (G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.) granted the motion in part, ruling that it would not consider several exhibits when ruling on the motion to dismiss. Xavier v. Belfor USA Group, Inc., 2007 WL 4224320, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87028 (E.D.La. Nov 26, 2007).
Dan Dalton - 12/10/2007
compress summary
- click to show/hide ALL -
Issues and Causes of Action
click to show/hide detail
Issues
Immigration/Border
Employer sanctions
Employment
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Causes of Action
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201-219
Case Details
click to show/hide detail
Defendant(s)
Belfor USA Group Inc.
Construction Management Services, USA, LLC
Expro Services, Inc.
Guaranteed Fence & Gate, LLC
Ticos Construction, L.L.C.
Plaintiff Description
Individuals who (1) worked for Defendant or psubcontractors performing unskilled manual labor in various projects throughout the U.S. over the last 3 years prior and (2) who were eligible for but did not receive overtime pay.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
Southern Poverty Law Center
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Damages
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
2006 - n/a
Filed
02/01/2006
Case Closing Year
2011
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
click to show/hide detail
See this case
at CourtListener.com
(May provide additional documents and, for active cases, real-time alerts)
Documents
click to show/hide detail
Court
Docket(s)
E.D. La.
01/05/2011
2:06-cv-00491-GTP-DEK
IM-LA-0006-9000.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
E.D. La.
01/05/2011
2:06-cv-07804-GTP-DEK
IM-LA-0006-9001.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
E.D. La.
03/28/2006
Plaintiffs' Second Amended Complaint
IM-LA-0006-0001.pdf
|
Detail
E.D. La.
08/07/2006
Collective Action Settlement Agreement
IM-LA-0006-0002.pdf
|
Detail
E.D. La.
09/07/2006
Order [ECF# 43]
IM-LA-0006-0003.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
E.D. La.
11/01/2006
Plaintiff's Fair Labor Standards Act Collective Action Amended Complaint [ECF# 3]
IM-LA-0006-0004.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
E.D. La.
11/26/2007
Order & Reasons
(2007 WL 4224320)
IM-LA-0006-0005.pdf
|
WESTLAW
|
Detail
People
click to show/hide detail
show all people docs
Judges
Knowles, Daniel E. III
(E.D. La.)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0003 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Porteous, G. Thomas Jr.
(E.D. La.)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Zainey, Jay C.
(E.D. La.)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0003
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Alvarez, Robert Anthony
(Michigan)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0004 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Bauer, Mary C.
(Virginia)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0001 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000
Gerharz, Barry James
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000
Linares, Hector A.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0001 | IM-LA-0006-9000
Lurye, William
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0004 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
McCoy, Gregory J.
(Michigan)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0004 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Picard, Nancy
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Richard-Spencer, Julie Marie
(California)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Rosenbaum, Jennifer J.
(Alabama)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0001 | IM-LA-0006-0002 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000
Sandoval, Jose
(California)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0004 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Vander Veen, Ronald J.
(Michigan)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0004 | IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Defendant's Lawyers
Alfieri, Christopher J.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Ballay, Brian M.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000
Cordes, Elizabeth Skelley
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Favret, Clarence F. III
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Griffith, Steven F.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Kurtz, Michael J.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Lagarde, Andre Jude
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Marshall, Howard Carter
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Pelleteri, Ellen M.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-0005 | IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Peyton, Robert D.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Tully, Kevin Richard
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Tusa, Michael Thomas
(California)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000
Whitehead, Jack Kenneth Jr,
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
Wolfe, Scott G. Jr.
(Louisiana)
show/hide docs
IM-LA-0006-9000 | IM-LA-0006-9001
- click to show/hide ALL -
new search
page permalink
- top of page -
Contact
Report an Error
Privacy Policy