Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01669/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01669-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JENIFER WILLIAMS, an individual, on

behalf of herself, and on behalf of all persons

similarly situated,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 09cv1669 WQH (MDD)

ORDER DENYING JOINT MOTION

FOR DETERMINATION OF

DISCOVERY DISPUTE WITHOUT

PREJUDICE AND STAYING PAGARELATED DISCOVERY

[DOC. NO. 116]

vs.

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION,

Defendant.

Before the Court is a Joint Motion for Determination of Discovery Dispute filed by the

parties on January 20, 2012. (Doc. No. 116). Defendant also filed an additional opposition. (Doc.

No. 117). Plaintiff filed this case as a class action and asserted seven claims for relief as follows:

(1) unfair competition; (2) failure to pay overtime in violation of state law; (3) failure to provide

wages when due; (4) failure to provide meal and rest periods; (5) failure to provide accurate

itemized wage statements; (6) failure to pay overtime in violation of the federal Fair Labor

Standards Act ("FLSA"); and, (7) for civil penalties pursuant to the California Labor Code Private

Attorney General Act (“PAGA”), Cal. Lab.Code §§ 2698 et seq. Plaintiff’s motion to certify the

class in this case was denied. (Doc. No. 92). 

At the heart of this discovery dispute is the question whether a plaintiff may maintain a

representative action under PAGA without meeting the class action certification requirements of

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Fed.R.Civ.P. 23. The Ninth Circuit has not yet ruled on this issue. The district courts are split. 

See Ivey v. Apogen Technologies, Inc., 2011 WL 3515936 *2-3 (S.D. Cal. 2011)(collecting cases). 

In Ivey, a District Judge of this Court ruled that PAGA contravenes federal procedural

requirements by providing for recovery to unnamed non-parties and that such a claim must meet

the class certification requirements of Rule 23. Id. at 3. On the other hand, another District Judge

of this Court, in Rix v. Lockheed Martin Corporation, 09cv2063-MMA (NLS), a case virtually

identical to the instant case but involving a different classification of employee, declined to dismiss

plaintiff’s PAGA claim for failing to meet the requirements of Rule 23 on the grounds that at that

stage of the litigation it was not clear that plaintiff could not seek to litigate a manageable claim. 

(Doc. No. 77). Since then, as the case information matured, the Magistrate Judge assigned to that

case authorized defendant to file a challenge to plaintiff’s PAGA claim. Id. at Doc. No. 85. 

In the instant case, on January 25, 2012, Defendant moved to strike or dismiss Plaintiff’s

PAGA claim. (Doc. No. 118). And, in connection with this discovery dispute, Defendant has

asked this Court to stay PAGA-related discovery pending resolution of its motion in the District

Court. (Doc. No. 116 at 9-10). The Court finds that the prudent course to take is to stay PAGArelated discovery pending a ruling by the District Court on Defendant’s motion. To do otherwise

would result in potentially needless litigation as one side or the other likely would have to file

objections to the resulting discovery order. 

Accordingly, the pending discovery motion is denied without prejudice and all PAGArelated discovery is stayed pending a ruling on Defendant’s motion to strike or dismiss Plaintiff’s

PAGA claim. 

IT IS SO ORDERED:

DATED: January 27, 2012

 

 Hon. Mitchell D. Dembin

 U.S. Magistrate Judge

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