Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902-75/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 790
Nature of Suit: Other Labor Litigation
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Account Receivable

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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LIONEL HARPER, DANIEL SINCLAIR, 

HASSAN TURNER, and LUIS VAZQUEZ, 

individually and on behalf of 

all others similarly situated 

and all aggrieved employees,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, LLC,

Defendant.

No. 2:19-cv-00902 WBS DMC

ORDER RE: CLASS CERTIFICATION

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Upon consideration of plaintiffs’ motion for class 

certification and defendant’s motion for denial of class 

certification, along with the papers submitted in support of and 

in opposition to both motions, the court finds that the proposed 

class action meets the requirements of numerosity, commonality,

typicality and adequacy of representation; that common questions 

of law and fact predominate over any questions affecting only 

individual members; and that a class action is superior to any 

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other available method for fairly and efficiently adjudicating 

this controversy. 

However, the court does not find that certification is 

appropriate with regard to all the subclasses proposed by 

plaintiffs. Accordingly, pursuant to the provisions of Rule 

23(a) and (b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the court

grants plaintiffs’ motion (Docket No. 417) only as follows:1

I. The following classes and subclasses are hereby certified

under Rule 23(b)(3):

A. Commission Wage Statements Class. All California-based 

commission-eligible employees who received at least one 

wage statement with a monthly or quarterly commission 

or commission allowance payment between September 14, 

2017 and the date of this Order.

B. Training Weeks Class. All California-based Direct 

Sales Employees who had at least one week of new hire 

training between November 19, 2014 and the date of this 

Order, and who qualify for one or more of the following 

subclasses:

1. Overtime Subclass. All Training Weeks Class 

members who worked over 8 hours in a day or 40 

hours in a week during their training weeks.

2. Meal Period Subclass. All Training Weeks Class 

members who worked over 5 hours at least one day 

1 The motions are taken under submission without the need 

for oral argument, and the December 9, 2024 hearing is vacated. 

See L.R. 230(g).

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during their training weeks and were not provided 

a designated off-duty meal period of at least 30 

minutes.

3. Rest Break Subclass. All Training Weeks Class 

members who worked over 3.5 hours at least one day 

during their training weeks and were not provided 

a designated off-duty rest break of at least 10 

minutes, or who worked over 6 hours at least one 

day during their training weeks and were not 

provided two designated off-duty rest breaks of at 

least 10 minutes each.

4. Training Weeks Wage Statements Subclass. All 

Training Weeks Class members who received at least 

one wage statement on or after September 14, 2017 

that covers a training week and which contained 

incorrect information on account of inaccurate 

dates; or inaccurate accounting of overtime, meal 

periods, or rest breaks.

II. The court declines plaintiffs’ request to certify any of the 

following subclasses of Direct Sales Employees in the following 

categories:

1. The court declines to create subclasses of class 

members who Charter contends are bound by a JAMS 

Arbitration Agreement and/or a Solution Channel 

Mutual Arbitration Agreement. Any member found to 

be bound by an arbitration agreement which 

precludes participating in this action will be 

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excluded from recovering as a part of this action.

2. Because plaintiffs provide no reason why Training 

Weeks Class members whose employment terminated on 

or after November 19, 2015 should be treated 

differently in this action, the request to certify 

them as a separate subclass is denied.

3. Because plaintiffs provide no discussion of what 

the UCL claims may encompass other than the other 

alleged violations already covered, their request 

to include a subclass for all Training Weeks Class 

members whose training weeks occurred between 

November 19, 2014 and November 18, 2015 under a 

separate UCL subclass will also be denied.

III. Plaintiffs Lionel Harper, Daniel Sinclair, Hassan Turner, 

and Luis Vazquez are appointed as class representatives; and 

Soderstrom Law PC is appointed as class counsel. Class counsel

shall give written notice of this certification via United States 

mail and email sent to the last known addresses of all putative 

class members within 28 days of the date of this Order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 6, 2024

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