$600,000 Class Action Settlement Granted Preliminary Approval by Imperial County Superior Court

On November 9, 2020, Judge L. Brooks Anderholt of the California Superior Court for the County of Imperial granted preliminary approval of a $600,000 class action settlement in the action entitled Gonzalez-Rodriguez v. RJA Pollinating Company, et al., Case No. ECU001087. The conditionally certified settlement class consists of approximately 38 current and former non- exempt employees, excluding office workers, who worked RJA Pollinating at any time between October 4, 2015 through November 9, 2020.

The lawsuit claims that Defendants failed to pay workers for all hours worked due to an illegal time-shaving policy; failed to pay workers for all overtime hours worked; failed to provide workers with timely first meal periods and failed to provide workers with a second meal period for shifts greater than 10 hours; failed to provide rest periods at the rates required under State law; failed to provide workers with accurate itemized wage statements; and failed to time pay all wages owed to workers who resigned or were terminated Defendants deny Plaintiff’s claims and deny they did anything wrong.

The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing at 8:30 a.m. on February 25, 2021 in Department 9 of the Imperial County Superior Court located at 939 Main St, El Centro, CA 92243, to determine whether the settlement should be finally approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate.