In the case of Krueger v. Alaska Airlines, a flight attendant, Crystal Krueger, filed a lawsuit (on behalf of herself and others alike) alleging that Alaska Airlines violated Washington’s wage and hour laws by not providing pay for every hour that was worked. In the lawsuit, Krueger claimed that Alaska Airlines failed to provide compensation for overtime hours, along with rest breaks and work performed outside of the standard working hours.
Alaska Airlines moved the case to the federal court by arguing that this case met the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA). Alaska Airlines argued that this case met CAFA due to the amount of damages that could be awarded, which was at least $5 million (based on their estimate calculation).
Krueger filed a motion to remand the case (reinstate it back to state court). The district judge determined that Alaska Airlines had every right to move the case to federal court as it met the CAFA minimum amount of potential damages. The judge also found that Krueger did not provide enough evidence that this case was more suited for state court.
The court denied Krueger’s motion to remand, which means that this case will continue in the federal court. A final ruling is pending as the case is still ongoing.
Key lessons from this case:
- This case shows the burden for employers to provide enough evidence that the case exceeds Washington state’s jurisdiction (power to make legal decisions) to ensure that they get a fair trial in federal court.
- CAFA can impact a case by providing jurisdiction to the appropriate court.
- This case emphasizes the burden of proof needed from both parties when in dispute.
If you want to know more about overtime regulations, read our guide on Washington Overtime Laws.
