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SKYCAPS TIPS CASES
In 2008, we won a jury trial against American Airlines, challenging the airline’s collection of a $2 per bag charge for curbside check-in and not allowing skycaps to keep this money. After this trial, most airlines stopped charging the $2 per bag fee. The federal court has now certified this case as a national class action, so all American skycaps across the country who collected the $2 per bag charge are part of this case. American has appealed the jury verdict to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and we are now awaiting the outcome of this appeal. Last year, we won a preliminary appeal with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which rejected American's argument that it could not be liable to skycaps whom it did not directly employ. The Court reinstated the $325,000 verdict for the skycaps who were part of the initial trial, reversing the federal court's decision last year that the case would need to be-tried. Click here to read the Court's decision. Click here to watch the oral argument. We have brought similar cases against United, US Airways, and JetBlue challenging their $2 per bag charges. The airlines have all argued that the state law claims we have raised related to the $2 per bag charges are preempted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act. The court in the case against American rejected this argument, but the judges in the cases against the other airlines have agreed with this argument, dismissing our tips-related claims. We are seeking reconsideration or appeal of those rulings. We have also alleged that the airlines are joint employers of the skycaps and are liable for minimum wage violations (which is not affected by the preemption rulings). We are seeking to have these cases certified as national class actions. We are also pursuing a tortious interference claim against US Airways on behalf of skycaps nationwide, challenging the airlines’ decision to end skycap services in 2008. We have also filed claims against various contractor companies that have paid skycaps less than minimum wage, while not allowing the skycaps to keep all of their tips. We have reached national settlements on this claim with PrimeFlight, Prospect, and Huntleigh. We have cases remaining on this claim against G2 Secure Staff and FSS. For more information on any of these cases, please contact our investigator Scott Simpson at ssimpson@llrlaw.com. To read more about these cases, see the links below. Airlines scoop tips from skycaps Skycaps across US join suit over tips AA skycaps win certification of national class AA skycaps seek cert. in 2nd suit over bag fees Skycaps suing United Airlines United skycaps launch FLSA action over tips Mass. court rules for American skycaps on tips SJC upholds skycaps' win in baggage fee lawsuit Skycaps win Wage Act appeal over tips Skycaps to ask Mass. court to reinstate tips award American Airlines now charging fees to non-passengers Skycaps seek class status in Jet Blue bag fee suit United Airlines suspends $2 curbside luggage fee US Airways seeks emergency exit from skycaps suit New trial ordered in skycap tip suit US Airways skycaps in Phila. get pink slips From the Boston Globe editorial page Airline halts fee, lifts ban on tips Airline, loser in suit, fails to deliver promised pay raise Insta-CoGo: Skycaps, Tipping and You Kicked at the Curb Airline bans tips for skycaps at Logan Boycott American Airlines Un-American Airlines Skycaps sue 3 airlines over $2 baggage fee US Air skycaps sue company, claim lost tips Off Balance at the Top Skycaps Win Lawsuit Over $2-A-Bag Fee Logan skycaps win fight for tips 9 skycaps win $325,000 in tips in suit over curbside fees Skycaps sue airline over tips lost to bag fee Skycaps sue American Airlines over lost tips Skycaps at Logan sue over lost tips ALL OTHER TIPS CASES »
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