Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902-69/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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JOINT STIPULATION AND MOTION TO APPROVE DISCOVERY AGREEMENT

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LIONEL HARPER, DANIEL SINCLAIR, 

HASSAN TURNER, LUIS VAZQUEZ, and 

PEDRO ABASCAL, individually and on behalf of 

all others similarly situated and all aggrieved 

employees,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, LLC,

Defendant.

Case No. 2:19-cv-00902-WBS-DMC

Magistrate Judge Dennis M. Cota

ORDER GRANTING JOINT STIPULATION 

AND MOTION TO APPROVE DISCOVERY 

AGREEMENT

Having read and considered the Joint Stipulation and Motion to Approve Discovery Agreement 

(Stipulation) submitted by Plaintiffs Lionel Harper and Daniel Sinclair and Defendant Charter 

Communications, LLC, the Court hereby APPROVES the Stipulation and the parties’ discovery 

agreement described below and ADOPTS it as a court order:

Harper Rogs 2–3 As soon as it is available but no later than July 12, 2024, Charter shall produce,

an updated class list1 showing all putative class members’ and alleged aggrieved 

PAGA employees’ contact information, most recent work location and position, 

hire and termination dates, and other relevant information that is in Charter’s 

possession, consistent with its prior class lists. Charter shall produce another

updated class list within 21 days of any order certifying a class (limited to any 

1 The “class list” includes alleged aggrieved employees under PAGA.

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class that is certified). The parties shall confer over the timing of Charter’s 

production of a final updated class list before trial. The lists shall include all 

contact information, location, most recent position, hire, and termination dates in 

Charter’s possession. The parties shall continue conferring regarding the timing 

and scope of Charter’s production of updated position histories lists, and any 

agreement the parties’ reach shall be considered part of this Stipulation.

Harper RFP 7 Charter shall produce on a rolling basis, to be concluded by no later than June 24, 

2024, each version of Charter’s commission plan documents for Commission 

Employees (including any plan, attachment, and addendum) that has not 

previously been produced. Charter’s counsel shall confirm in writing when it 

believes all such records have been produced. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding 

Charter’s production, the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days.

Charter shall produce any new commission plan documents that may be issued 

thereafter within 14 days of issuance.

Harper RFP 15 In lieu of producing additional wage statements for the 10% sample of Direct 

Sales Employees and Commission Employees, Charter stipulates that the 

samplings of wage statements that it has produced to date are representative of 

the putative class and alleged aggrieved PAGA employees. Charter further 

stipulates that it has not changed the manner in which it generates its wage 

statements, or the general form of its wage statements, since its last sampling 

production of wage statements on December 28, 2023. If Charter changes the 

manner in which it generates its wage statements, or the general form or content 

of its wage statements, it shall notify Plaintiffs and provide at least five exemplars 

within 14 days, and the parties shall meet and confer regarding the changes within 

seven days thereafter.

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Harper RFP 16 In lieu of producing additional commission statements or similar documents for 

the 10% sample of Direct Sales Employees and Commission Employees, or for 

any putative class member or alleged aggrieved PAGA employee, Charter 

stipulates that the commission plans previously produced have the commission 

periods reflected in the chart that Charter provided to Plaintiffs on February 7, 

2024. Charter shall update this chart and provide it to Plaintiffs on the same 

date(s) that any additional commission plan documents are produced in 

accordance with Harper RFP 7 above.

Harper RFPs 23–26 Charter shall produce on a rolling basis, to be concluded by June 14, 2024, each 

of the following records, and any other similar records that Plaintiffs may identify 

on a training transcript report or other record, involving training related to 

working hours, payment of wages, meal periods, rest breaks, rates of pay, wage 

statements, earning, calculating, and being paid incentive compensation ( e.g., 

commission or bonus) wages, and any new or updated Callidus training records 

or similar training: “Wage and Hour Training for Managers;” “Wage and Hour 

Training for Employees;” “Timekeeping 101 for Nonexempt Employees;” 

“Kronos Training and Reference Guides;” “Kronos 8 Reference Guide;” “Meet 

your tablet;” “Time Management;” “New Employee Checklist;” “New Employee 

Orientation to Charter;” “Bundle Refresher Training for DSR and MTSR;” “Mid 

Knowledge Check” and “Final Assessment;” “MapAnything Overview;” 

“MapAnything Training Documentation;” and “Spectrum Business Refresher 

Training for AEs/Senior AEs.” Charter’s counsel confirmed in writing that it 

believes all such records have been produced other than “Managing Time,” 

“Employee Attendance Policy,” “Charter Training Center for DSR and MTSR,” 

and “Week 1 Training: Building Confidence,” because Charter could not locate 

the source files or the file had no content. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding 

Charter’s production, the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days.

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Harper RFP 28 On February 28 and March 8, 2024, Charter produced 10 exemplar offer letters 

or similar records issued in 2022, 2023, and 2024 to putative class members 

and/or alleged aggrieved PAGA employees. Charter stipulates that it has not 

changed the manner in which it generates its offer letters, or the general form or 

content of its offer letters, since its production of the exemplar offer letters. If 

Charter changes the manner in which it generates its offer letters, or the general 

form or content of its offer letters, it shall notify Plaintiffs and provide at least 

five exemplars within 14 days. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding the form, 

content, or representative nature of Charter’s offer letters, the parties shall meet 

and confer on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFP 29 Charter confirms that there are no versions of any arbitration agreement that may 

apply to a Direct Sales Employee and/or Commission Employee that has not 

already been produced. Charter shall produce an exemplar of any new arbitration 

agreement and any related materials (e.g., guidelines) that may apply to a Direct 

Sales Employee and/or Commission Employee within 14 days of its 

implementation.

Harper RFP 30 Charter shall produce on a rolling basis, to be concluded by no later than June 14, 

2024, all new Direct Sales Employee training materials used in 2021, 2022, 2023, 

and 2024 that have not already been produced. Charter’s counsel shall confirm in 

writing when it believes all such records have been produced. If Charter makes 

changes to the training materials in the future, Charter shall produce such 

materials within 14 days of implementation. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding 

Charter’s production, the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days. The 

parties agree that Charter’s production of the records described above does not 

resolve all issues regarding Harper RFP 30.

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Harper RFP 32 On March 14, 2024, Charter produced records describing its policies related to 

monitoring or tracking its Direct Sales Employees’ locations and/or whereabouts.

If Charter makes changes to the written policies, Charter shall produce such new 

policies within 14 days of implementation. Charter represents that, other than 

disposition reports with time stamps, it does not possess any records showing the 

real-time monitoring or tracking of its Direct Sales Employees’ locations and/or 

whereabouts. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding Charter’s production or 

representations, the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFP 33 On February 19, 2024, Charter produced exemplars of job requisitions or job 

descriptions for Direct Sales Employee positions since 2021. Charter shall 

produce an exemplar of any new job requisition or job description within 14 days 

of its implementation. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding Charter’s production, 

the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFPs 35–37 In lieu of producing additional commission plan document acknowledgment or 

receipt data, and any physically or electronically signed commission plan 

documents or receipts, for the 10% sample of Direct Sales Employees and 

Commission Employees, Charter confirms that it has produced all commission 

plan document acknowledgment or receipt data, and any physically or 

electronically signed commission plan documents or receipts, for the 10% 

sampling through October 2021, and stipulates that those records are 

representative of the putative class and alleged aggrieved PAGA employees. 

Charter further stipulates that it has not changed its processes and practices 

regarding commission plan document acknowledgments and receipts since 

October 2021. If Charter makes changes to its processes and practices regarding 

commission plan document acknowledgments and receipts, Charter shall produce 

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materials describing such changes within 14 days of implementation, and the 

parties shall confer on the changes within seven days.

Harper RFP 46 Charter shall produce all written statements obtained from a putative class 

member or alleged aggrieved PAGA employee related to the claims or defenses 

in this action within 14 days of obtaining such statements. Charter’s counsel 

confirms that all such records presently in its possession have been produced. If 

Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding Charter’s production, the parties shall confer 

on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFP 47 On February 28, 2020, May 1, 2020, December 4, 2020, March 8, 2021, and 

February 6, 2024, Charter produced exemplars of new “Standards of 

Performance,” Corrective Action Guides, or similar records for Direct Sales 

Employee positions. If Charter issues new records or makes changes to such 

records, Charter shall produce them within 14 days of implementation. If 

Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding Charter’s production, the parties shall confer 

on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFPs 50, 52 Charter confirms that its processes and practices with respect to presenting 

arbitration agreements to Direct Sales Employees and Commission Employees 

have not changed since May 2021, and stipulates that the 2% sampling records it 

produced in May 2021 are representative of the putative class and alleged 

aggrieved PAGA employees.

Harper RFPs 59, 92 In lieu of producing additional disposition reports or similar records, and 

additional leads list or similar records, for the 10% sample of Direct Sales 

Employees, Charter confirms that it has produced all disposition reports or 

similar records, and all leads lists or similar records, for the 10% sample of Direct 

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Sales Employees through October 2021, and stipulates that those records are 

representative of the putative class and alleged aggrieved PAGA employees.

Harper RFPs 88–91 On March 27, 2024, Charter concluded its production of all wage statements, 

training transcript reports, disposition reports, leads lists, and commission plan 

document acknowledgment data, records, or receipts for each of the identified 

employees, consistent with the parties’ agreement reached in November 2021.

Charter’s counsel confirmed in writing that it believes all such records have been 

produced. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding Charter’s production, the parties 

shall confer on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFP 101 On February 16, 2024, Charter concluded its production of written records 

retention, deletion, or destruction policies or practices that it issued and/or used 

since September 14, 2018. Charter’s counsel confirmed in writing that it believes 

all such records have been produced. If Plaintiffs raise an issue regarding 

Charter’s production, the parties shall confer on the issue within seven days.

Harper RFP 102 Charter represents that the only non-privileged, responsive document is the 

spreadsheet attached to the Carr Declaration dated March 28, 2022. The parties 

agree that Charter’s production of the spreadsheet does not resolve all issues 

regarding Harper RFP 102.

SPO Section 6.2 In connection with the denial of two previous requests for filing under seal 

(Dkts. 113 and 364), and pursuant to Section 6.2 of the Stipulated Protective 

order (Dkt. 43), the parties met and conferred on the phone and in writing 

multiple times between February 12 and 29, 2024, with respect to certain 

confidentiality designations of records and information produced or disclosed 

by Charter. The parties’ stipulation was reduced to writing and confirmed on 

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February 29, 2024, and is intended to allow for limited redactions while limiting

the need for future requests for filing under seal. As described in greater detail 

in the parties’ meet and confer correspondence dated February 29, 2024, the 

parties stipulate that:

1. they will not object to the filing of excerpts of longer documents (e.g., 

lengthy policies or training workbooks), provided that the other side can 

file additional excerpts or the entire document (with limited, appropriate 

redactions of sensitive information) for optimal completeness.

2. the sensitive and confidential information that should be redacted in any 

future filings of the following records consists of the personal street 

addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of employees and 

customers, and any similarly sensitive information (e.g., SSNs): (i) offer 

letters; (ii) wage statements; (iii) leads lists and disposition reports; and 

(iv) employee applications and onboarding records.

3. the sensitive and confidential information that should be redacted in any 

future filings of employee work emails that Charter produces shall 

include the same information identified in paragraph 2 above, and shall 

also include any sensitive business or pricing information consistent 

with the scope of the parties’ agreement reached in connection with 

paragraph 4 below.

4. by June 21, 2024, Charter will identify and provide Plaintiffs with 

examples of what Charter considers sensitive and confidential 

information contained in the following categories of records, and 

Plaintiffs will have until June 28, 2024 to agree to or dispute the 

appropriateness of redacting such information in any future filings of 

such records: (i) commission plan documents; (ii) training workbooks, 

guidebooks, PowerPoints, playbooks, and similar training records; (iii) 

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commission statements and data; and (iv) Standards of Performance and 

similar records.

5. Charter has withdrawn the confidentiality designations for: (i)

commission plan acknowledgment data and receipts; (ii) training 

transcript reports; and (iii) company policies, handbooks, and job 

descriptions.

All other discovery orders and matters that the Court has previously ruled on or taken under 

submission shall remain in effect. The status conference set for August 1, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., before the 

undersigned via Zoom remains on calendar. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 24, 2024

____________________________________

DENNIS M. COTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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