Los Angeles Fire Department Rookie Overtime and Unpaid Wages Case

Federal law requires that firefighters be paid for all hours worked.

This case alleges that the LAFD has a practice of requiring, suffering or permitting rookies to 1) arrive between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. shift, 2) stay over after 6:30 a.m. the next day, and 3) work during their days off, including studying, drilling and training. However, the LAFD does not pay its rookies for the extra hours they work. In all likelihood, the extra hours worked by rookies are overtime hours and should be paid at the rate of time-and-a-half.

Federal law forbids the Fire Department from characterizing these extra work hours as volunteer time.

Litt, Estuar, Harrison & Kitson has filed suit to require the LAFD to pay its rookies for the extra hours they have worked. The case is called Tomassi, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, U.S.D.C. Case No. CV 08-01851. (Copy of the Federal Complaint)

Any LAFD employee who was a rookie at any time from 3/19/05 to the present and who worked extra time for which they were not paid can join this case by filling out a Consent Form and sending it to our office. To print the Consent Form, open this word document.

NOTE:

You must join the overtime case by filling out the Consent Form in order to be paid for the extra hours you worked. You will not be included in this case and will not be paid for the extra hours you worked unless you fill out the Consent Form and send it to Litt, Estuar, Harrison & Kitson, by:

• Fax to 213.380.4585, Attn: Leticia Moreno
• Mail to:
    
Litt, Estuar, Harrison & Kitson
Attn: Leticia Moreno
1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1880
Los Angeles, CA. 90017

OR

• Email to lmoreno@littlaw.com

Be sure to keep a copy of your consent form for your records.