Southeast Connections, LLC

No Company is Too Big to Play Fair.

On September 13, 2023, two former employees of Southeast Connections, LLC (“SEC”) filed an overtime lawsuit against the company. The two named plaintiffs worked as either a pipefitter, laborer, and/or foreman for SEC and assert claims on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated individuals, including hourly-paid Foreman and Crewmembers (Crewmembers include Laborers, Pipefitters, Pipeline Crew Members, Operators, Fuse/Fitters, and Commercial Driver Licensed (CDL) Driver/Crew Members.) Plaintiffs allege that SEC, an energy infrastructure contractor focused on the natural gas industry, has violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) by: (1) failing to pay employees— other than those driving—for time riding in the company vehicle from the worksite to SEC’s facilities; (2) requiring employees to work through lunch but failing to pay them for work performed during lunch; and (3) failing to pay employees for work performed at SEC’s facilities after returning the vehicle to SEC’s facilities. In the Complaint Plaintiffs allege that through these practices SEC improperly denied Plaintiffs and those similarly situated overtime pay.

Plaintiffs brought the case as a putative collective action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) seeking to recover unpaid overtime compensation for hours over 40 per work week, liquidated (double) damages, and other statutorily-permitted relief for themselves and other similarly situated Foreman and Crewmembers.

On July 15, 2024, Plaintiffs’ counsel distributed notice of this lawsuit to all eligible similarly situated individuals via both email and U.S. mail. The deadline to return a consent form to join the case is September 13, 2024.

Our firm has partnered with the Legare, Attwood, and Wolfe, LLC, a Georgia-based employment law firm, in representing Plaintiffs and the FLSA Collective in this case. For more information about their firm, please visit: https://law-llc.com/.

This case is entitled Stallworth, et al. v. Southeast Connections, LLC, Court File No. 1:23-cv-04106 (Northern District of Georgia)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q:Is This a Class Action? What Does that Mean?

A:This is a collective action, not a class action, under federal law. The idea behind a collective action is that it allows one or more people to sue on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated people who have similar claims. To make a claim and join the collective, however, an individual needs to provide her/his consent in writing. As noted above, this case was recently certified as a collective action, meaning a court-approved notice of the lawsuit will be distributed soon to all similarly situated employees located around the country. After it is distributed all eligible employees will have sixty (60) days to join the case.
Q:Which Locations Are Included in This Case?

A:This case seeks to include all Foreman and Crewmembers who work or have worked for SEC anywhere in the United States.
Q:What Time Frame Does This Case Cover?

A:The claim has what is called a statute of limitations, which allows workers to recover unpaid overtime wages within specific time periods. Under federal law, the statute of limitations is two years back from when the worker signs up to join the lawsuit by completing and returning the consent form referenced above. If we can prove that SEC intentionally or recklessly violated the law, then the statute of limitations may be extended to three years.
Q:Do I Have to Pay Anything?

A:You do not have to pay anything if you join the lawsuit. The attorneys are handling this case on a contingency fee basis. This means we will only be paid if the lawsuit is successful in obtaining relief either through a settlement, award, or a final judgment, and that payment will only come out of that settlement, award, or final judgment.
Q:How Do I Prove I Worked Overtime?

A:You do not need to have records of the hours you worked to make a claim in this case. If you do have records of the hours you worked, however, please preserve and keep them until we ask you for them. If SEC did not keep accurate time records, most courts will permit you to make a good-faith estimate of your work hours. Through this lawsuit, we will seek any records the company may have of your hours worked as well.
Q:What About Retaliation?

A:It is against the law for an employer to retaliate against a person for joining a lawsuit to reclaim unpaid wages. If you believe you may be the victim of retaliation for joining or participating in this lawsuit, contact the case clerk, Tommy Navarre at (612) 256-3238 or tnavarre@nka.com immediately.
Q:How Long Will This Case Take?

A:The length of this kind of lawsuit varies from case to case, but they typically last one to three years.
Q:Is There Money Available Now?

A:No. This case is pending in federal court. There is no money currently available and there is no guarantee that you will receive money for joining the lawsuit.
Q:How Do I Learn More?

A:To learn more, contact the case clerk, Tommy Navarre, at (612) 256-3238 or tnavarre@nka.com.