A case before the Supreme Court could eventually affect a suit by waitresses at a Hooters restaurant in the District.
Sixteen former and current Hooters servers, including some who worked at the 7th Street N.W. location, are trying to fill a class-action lawsuit. The women claim the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by making them purchase expensive uniforms, and having them show up hours early without being paid, the Washington Post reports.
Now, an arbitrator ruled the waitresses couldn’t build a class-action case because there’s a notice on their application explicitly prohibiting them from doing so.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is dealing with another case involving a cell phone customer seeking class-action status in a dispute with AT&T Mobility. The high court will hear arguments on Tuesday.
The waitresses' attorney, Cyrus Mehri, says he hope the justices use the case to say arbitration contracts cannot wipe out class-action claims.
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