Public Service Shift Differential

Coral Gables, FL: (Apr-02-08) Several police officers and fire unions brought lawsuits against the City of Coral Gables, over issues pertaining to its public safety employees. Several police officers sued stating that they were owed money due to them for over two years. The suit, filed in US District Court in January 2008, stated that the officers were owed payment for shift differential overtime pay, which it says the city was derelict in paying. Legal counsel said that as per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the city must pay between 5%-7% additional compensation to officers who work shifts, or parts of their shifts, starting after 5 p.m. The officers' suit stated that the city had not done so for many years. As per court records, the city has had to pay out over $1 million to police and fire unions in a variety of lawsuits, including pension disputes and other controversial issues regarding its public safety employees.

In a recent development in the overtime suit, sources said that a settlement has been reached, in which the city paid $138,000 to police officers and addition of $15,000 for attorneys fees and cost, to resolve the allegations. The officers union spokesperson stated that though the city has been shortchanging its officers with what is called shift differential pay for up to two decades and the total money owed is actually about $1.5 million, the statutes of limitations only allowed police to go back two years to recoup the moneys. [CORAL GABLES GAZETTE: POLICE TO GET $150K FROM CITY FOR WAGES OWED]

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Published on Apr-4-08