Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_19-cv-00330/USCOURTS-ared-3_19-cv-00330-0/pdf.json

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

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS 

NORTHERN DIVISION 

JAMIE THOMAS and ARGUSTER WILLIAMS, 

Individually and on Behalf of all Others 

Similarly Situated 

v. No. 3:19-cv-330-DPM 

VISKASE COMPANIES, INC. 

ORDER 

PLAINTIFFS 

DEFENDANT 

Viskase manufactures food packaging products. Thomas and 

Williams worked at the Viskase plant in Osceola. Thomas was paid 

hourly, and Williams was a salaried shift supervisor. They seek to 

conditionally certify two FLSA collectives- one for hourly paid staff 

and another for shift supervisors -who worked at Viskase since 

November 2016. Thomas says Viskase used a rounding system that led 

to her not being paid for all the hours she worked, including some 

beyond forty hours a week Williams says that despite being salaried, 

she was not exempt and not paid for hours she worked over forty per 

week Viskase says its rounding method complies with FLSA and 

Williams was exempt; and it opposes any group action. 

The motion, NQ 6, is granted as modified. The Court conditionally 

certifies two groups: one for hourly paid staff, another for shift 

supervisors. Thomas and Williams have met the lenient applicable 

Case 3:19-cv-00330-DPM Document 14 Filed 02/04/20 Page 1 of 3
standard of showing that each group's members are similarly situated 

to one another. Helmert v. Butterball, LLC, 2009 WL 5066759, at *3 

(E.D. Ark. 15 Dec. 2009). They've made the modest factual showingthrough pleadings and affidavits - that the same kind of wage violation 

allegedly harmed all members of each proposed group. Garrison v. 

ConAgra Foods Packaged Food, LLC, 2013 WL 1247649, at *2 (E.D. Ark. 

27 Mar. 2013). Within each group, the employees had similar duties 

and were subject to uniform pay policies. Viskase refers to "two 

distinct decisions and policies" for the two groups, NQ 12 at 9, which 

supports finding that each group's members are similarly situated. 

Otherwise, Viskase' s arguments generally go to the merits, not the 

similarly situated question. Exemptions and rounding, as Viskase 

notes, are often unexceptional. These practices, though, can also be 

deployed improperly. The Court therefore conditionally certifies the 

two groups, but only for employees at the Osceola plant. Viskase has 

other plants, and Thomas and Williams allege that Viskase used the 

same pay policies in all of them. NQ 1at123; NQ 5 at 123. But Thomas 

and Williams only worked at the Osceola plant, and their key 

allegations concern only that plant. 

Here are the two groups: 

Group 1 

Group 2 

All hourly paid workers at the Osceola 

plant employed after 15 November 2016. 

All salaried shift supervisors at the Osceola 

plant employed after 15 November 2016. 

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Case 3:19-cv-00330-DPM Document 14 Filed 02/04/20 Page 2 of 3
One notice for both groups will do. The Court approves (in general) 

the proposed forms and overrules Viskase' s objections. But please 

make some changes to the proposal: update the group definitions to 

account for the Osceola restriction; change any instance of "and/ or" to 

"or"; delete the hyphen in "hourly-paid" every time that phrase 

appears; in the consent form for shift supervisors, NQ 6-2 at 2, change 

"an salaried shift supervisors" to "a salaried shift supervisor"; and 

delete section (11) about severance agreements. Viskase must post 

notice in its Osceola plant. Notice to group members by U.S. mail or 

text (at group counsel's election) is fine. There's no need for notice by 

email, too. One follow-up by postcard or text is fine. If notice is sent 

by mail, do not enclose the pleadings. Viskase does not have to provide 

email addresses, but it must provide all the other contact information 

by 18 February 2020. The opt-in period will close on 26 May 2020. 

So Ordered. 

D.P. Marshall fr. United States District Judge 

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Case 3:19-cv-00330-DPM Document 14 Filed 02/04/20 Page 3 of 3