Parts Authority Hit with Drivers' Unpaid Overtime Class Action

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Parts Authority, LLC and many of its locations nationwide are the defendants in a proposed class action claiming the company unlawfully classified its auto parts delivery drivers as independent contractors and thus failed to pay the workers proper overtime wages. Additionally, the defendants failed to reimburse the drivers for costs related to driving their own vehicles between stores and customers, causing the workers’ minimum wage to plummet below the federal minimum, the lawsuit says. On top of these alleged wage and hour violations, the complaint continues, are claims that the defendants also deducted “administrative fees” from drivers’ wages and did not pay spread-of-hours wages for shifts longer than 10 hours as required by New York law.

The plaintiffs argue that the defendants control almost every aspect of the drivers’ work days and duties and should be classified as employees entitled to overtime pay, not independent contractors. The drivers are typically required to work more than 40 hours a week, sometimes in excess of 10 extra hours per day, the lawsuit notes, and were not paid at the time-and-a-half hourly overtime rate.

The suit later alleges the defendants failed to repay drivers for the cost of gasoline, personal vehicle repairs, insurance and other expenses incurred during the scope of their employment.