RNV, others summoned in case alleging labor violation

A penal summons has been issued for RNV Construction, Best Deal Merchandise, Coreplus Construction, and Ruel Villacrusis pursuant to a lawsuit filed by former employees in the U.S. District Court for the NMI, alleging these companies violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

RNV Construction, Best Deal Merchandise, Coreplus Construction, and Villacrusis signed and filed waivers of service of summons yesterday, pursuant to a lawsuit filed by former employees. Essentially a waiver of service or summons means the defendants in a case have waived the issuance of a summons and voluntarily enter the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed by former employees of the defendants: Prospero A. Armia, Nemencio Q. Deleon, Giovan Malazarte, Ian R. Alcoseba, Ranie E. Celestial, Rudy B. Naraja, and Victor P. Fraginal.

The plaintiffs, who were employed by the companies in question at some point dating back to 2019, allege in their suit that their employers failed to pay them the prevailing wage and overtime wages.

The plaintiffs, who are demanding a jury trial, wants payment for applicable overtime compensation for all hours worked in an amount to be determined at trial.

The plaintiffs also want the court to order the companies to pay them their overtime compensation for all hours worked beyond 40 hours in each work week in an amount to be determined at trial; order payment of all unpaid services, tasks, and work done for defendants; and order the defendants to pay liquidated damages, plus prejudgment interest, and attorney’s fees and costs.

Lastly, the plaintiffs want the imposition of sanctions and penalties against all the defendants to deter future violations.

The first cause of action in this case was alleged failure to pay overtime wages in violation of the FLSA.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants claimed they were never paid overtime wages and claimed their employers “illegally deducted” money from their pay.