Trash Truck Drivers Poised For $26M Payout Over No-Naps Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council has reportedly approved a $26 million settlement stemming from a lawsuit over break rules for city trash truck drivers.
The class action lawsuit filed in 2005 involved the Bureau of Sanitation's no-sleeping policy during lunch breaks, which officials feared could potentially attract negative publicity, according to reports.
City Council members moved the settlement forward during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Times columnist Steve Lopez told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO about 1,000 truck drivers are poised to receive an average of $15,000 each in back pay.
"The city looks like it was concerned that if it didn't pay $26 million, it'd end up having to pay $40 million," Lopez said. "So this is a mess."'
The truck drivers involved in the lawsuit have already received favorable rulings from a Superior Court judge and a state appeals court panel, The Times reported.