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Man sues companies for alleged labor law violations
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Posted on May 19 2023
A man has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the NMI against establishments he has worked for on claims that they violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying him significantly less than the minimum wage.
Abu Yousuf, through his lawyer, Joe Hill, is suing Long Feng Corp., which operates the New XO Market and Party Poker, for allegedly violating the FLSA by paying him less than the CNMI’s minimum wage.
Yousuf claims that, while working for New XO Market and Party Poker for over three years, he was paid $4.25 per hour when the CNMI’s minimum wage at the time was $7.25.
In addition, Yousuf is also suing Guo Wu Li, Xu Gui Qing, and Feloteo V. Ran Ada, who run the NVM Enterprises, a manpower agency that hired Yousuf and got him a job at New XO and Party Poker. He accuses the manpower agency of involvement in the alleged scheme to violate the FLSA.
As relief, Yousef is asking the court to find the defendants liable and order them to pay him the unpaid minimum and overtime wages owed for all the hours he worked in excess of 40 hours in each work week, in an amount to be determined at trial.
Yousuf also wants the defendants to be found liable and ordered to pay him liquidated damages, compensatory and punitive damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest, and attorney’s fees and costs.
“Plaintiff alleges and avers that defendants knowingly and willfully paid him a flat rate of $4.25 per hour for regular hours worked and for overtime hours worked. Plaintiff therefore seeks and prays for an order and award of compensatory damages for unpaid minimum wages and unpaid overtime, plus liquidated damages…” said Hill.
According to the lawsuit, Yousuf claims that his employers knowingly, willfully, intentionally, and deliberately refused and failed to pay him at the rate required under the FLSA.
Yousuf, who is a Bangladesh citizen, says he worked for Long Feng Corp. as a security guard and/or bagger, and as a general laborer, from April 27, 2018, to Feb. 19, 2021. He claims that he worked as a non-exempt employee earning a flat rate of $4.25 per hour.
