Opinion ID: 2633945
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hallam's Contract-Based Claim for Overtime Pay Fails for the Same Reasons as His Statutory Claim.

Text: Hallam attaches a variation of his overtime claim to the particular language of Holland America's employment contract. Specifically, he argues that even if Judge Thompson correctly ruled that the overtime statute entitles Hallam to no relief, language in Holland America's standard form employment contract, when construed in favor of Hallam and the class, supports the pyramiding claim. Holland America's employment contract states: I agree by signing this contract, to work for Westours for the basic wage of $8.00 per hour. This wage is for straight time for the first eight (8) hours per day, the first forty (40) hours of each week. I understand that my assignments may result in my working more or less than eight (8) hours per day or forty (40) hours per week. I will only be paid for actual hours worked. For any hours in excess of eight (8) hours in a day or forty (40) in a week, overtime compensation will be paid at 1.5 times the basic rate which will be $12.00 per hour. Hallam argues that this language clearly and unambiguously required overtime compensation for any hours in excess of forty hours in a week. The same factors that control our analysis of the statutory overtime provision apply here as well. Hallam emphasizes the contract's reference to straight time and attempts to parse the meaning of particular phrases in the contract to support his claim. But We have held that a court should construe each part of a contract with every other part to create a harmonious whole. [21] And such a construction, along with the context and function of Holland America's employment contract, leads us to interpret it in the same manner as the overtime statute whose language it resembles. Hallam's alternative interpretation does not comport with the reasonable expectations of the thousands of people employed by Westours between 1990 and 1998. And indeed, Hallam gives no indication that any other Holland America employees read their employment contracts to promise pyramiding of overtime hours.