Lawsuit claims that the retailer and their staffing agencies violated minimum wage and overtime laws

Walmart and two staffing agencies in the Chicago area were named as defendants in a class action lawsuit filed Monday in Illinois. The suit alleges that Walmart, Labor Ready Midwest, and QPS Employment Group violated federal and state laws by denying workers legally mandated overtime pay and in some cases, paying them less than minimum wage for hours worked.

The 20 initial plaintiffs in the case each worked for one of the two staffing agencies and were regularly placed at Walmart stores for temporary work, often stocking shelves in the stores. Walmart utilizes hundreds of such workers in the Chicago area alone, and plans to hire thousands more nationwide during the upcoming holiday season, according to a UFCW press release. Read the full complaint here.

Walmart spokesman Dan Fogleman told The Huffington Post that the company is still reviewing the complaint, but that "based on the UFCW's press release, one thing is clear. This litigation is being driven by the same union organizations that have been mischaracterizing several issues about Walmart and are more concerned with creating publicity than with improving workers rights.

"We are committed to ensuring that anyone working in our stores -- whether they're employed by Walmart or in this case, a temporary staffing agency -- is treated appropriately and compensated fairly for every hour they work," he added.

Anthony Wright, a temp worker at Labor Ready who is named in the suit said in a statement to the media, "There have been so many times I've been told to stay late after my shift to finish stocking the shelves, but I didn't know they wouldn't pay me for it." Wright has worked at some of the area Walmart stores since late last year, he said.

Read More at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/22/walmart-temp-agencies-sued-minimum-wage-overtime_n_2002520.html

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