Dnata Aviation USA Workers at JFK Airport Are Not Paid On Time, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges Dnata Aviation USA has failed to compensate on time certain employees who perform physical labor and issue uniform maintenance pay.

The 11-page case claims that Dnata, one of the world’s largest providers of ground handling, cargo and flight catering services, has unlawfully paid ramp agents and baggage handlers in New York bi-weekly, instead of weekly, and deprived the employees of uniform maintenance compensation, both of which the individuals are entitled to under New York State Labor Law (NYLL).

According to the suit, Dnata's bi-weekly pay schedule violates the NYLL's requirement that manual workers be paid weekly. The filing argues that the plaintiff, a luggage handler at John F. Kennedy Airport, and similarly situated employees require weekly pay to ensure they can keep up with daily expenses and the area's high cost of living.

The complaint alleges Dnata's late wage payments deprive its manual workers of "the time value of their earned money, resulting in tangible financial loss calculated as interest and in other amounts; and loss in the form of the negative impact on their ability to save, invest, and plan for the future." Per the case, the plaintiff was forced to pay bills late due to Dnata's bi-weekly pay practice.

Additionally, the case asserts that the company does not provide uniform laundering services, and requires employees to maintain uniforms using their own money, which the suit says is illegal under the New York Code of Rules and Regulations. The lawsuit argues that Dnata is "effectively causing them to earn less than minimum wage accounting for the cost and time spent laundering their uniforms outside of work hours."

Per the complaint, Dnata has also failed to provide employees with accurate wage statements, violating NYLL. The plaintiff and other similarly situated workers seek $50 for each day Dnata did not provide wage notices or $5,000 each, according to the suit.

The lawsuit looks to represent all current and former Dnata employees who, in the past six years, worked as ramp agents and baggage handlers, performed physical tasks, and were required to wear uniforms as a condition of their employment in New York.

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