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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.

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