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Dive shop settles ex-employee’s suit for $10K
A diving tour shop has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by its former employee, who alleged that the company did not pay him overtime and the hourly minimum wage.
Following the settlement agreement, plaintiff JSM Maras on Wednesday filed in the U.S. District Court for the NMI a notice of his intent to dismiss his lawsuit against Galaxy Company Ltd., which owns the DPIS-Divers Paradise on Saipan.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona dismissed the case on Wednesday but retained jurisdiction to enforce the deal.
Attorney Stephen Nutting, counsel for Maras, stated that the parties have reached a settlement, precluding the need for Galaxy Company to respond to the court action.
The signatories in the settlement agreement were Nutting and Maras, and attorney S. Joshua Berger and his client, Galaxy Company manager Seong Hoon Kwon.
Maras and Galaxy agreed that their deal is not an admission of liability of any kind by the company.
Maras sued Galaxy for unpaid wages and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the CNMI Minimum Wage and Hour Act.
In his lawsuit, Maras, a citizen of Chuuk, asked the court to hold Galaxy liable to pay him $14,358.19 in unpaid and overtime compensation, plus damages, court costs, and attorney’s fees.
Maras was employed by DPIS as a diver/helper/tank charger/cleaner from Aug. 16, 2013 to Oct. 4, 2014.
