Louisville Firefighters Days Away from $45 mil. Payday

The Metro Louisville Council gave final approval last Thursday, November 19, 2009 to a plan that will effectively settle two law suits and pay upwards of $45 million in back overtime wages to Louisville firefighters. It is estimated that nearly 800 firefighters will be impacted by the settlement. One law suit dates back 9 years, while the other dates back 15 years. Both involve the overtime provision of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Kentucky's Wage and Hour Laws.

The crux of the case involves the proper calculation of overtime by the city. The first installment will be paid by Metro government on December 1, 2009.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
x

Check Also

KCMO Challenges Arbitration Award in Triple Fatal Crash

The City of Kansas City is appealing an arbitration decision that reduced the disciplinary penalty for the firefighter responsible for the 2021 triple-fatal apparatus crash to a three-day suspension without pay. Dominic Biscari was driving Kansas City’s Pumper 19, when it ran a red light, collided with an SUV, struck several parked cars, came to rest in a building, and in the process killed three people.

US DOL Announces Increases to White Collar Salary Test

The US Department of Labor has announced changes to the executive, administrative and professional employees exemption, and more specifically - increases to the minimum salary that must be paid to white collar employees to qualify under these exemptions. These changes have been expected, although the specific minimum salary and dates of implementation were subject to some speculation.