Overtime and the Fair Labor Standards Act

Overtime and the Fair Labor Standards Act
Alden v Maine, US Supreme Court, 527 U.S. 706

The question of the enforceability of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s [FLSA] mandates concerning overtime with respect to employees in the public service, especially those engaged in law enforcement and firefighting, has been an issue for a number of years.

In Alden v Maine the U.S. Supreme Court held that federal courts do not have jurisdiction to adjudicate alleged FLSA violations insofar as states are concerned, nor does a state court have jurisdiction to consider a state’s alleged FLSA violations without the consent of the state. Why? Because the 11th Amendment, which provides states with sovereign immunity, bars such lawsuits in federal court.

In the words of the High Court, “Congress lacks power under Article I to abrogate the States’ sovereign immunity from suits commenced or prosecuted in the federal courts.” Further, the court held that “the powers delegated to Congress under Article I of the United States Constitution do not include the power to subject nonconsenting states to private suits for damages in state courts.” This means that state workers are unable to sue their employer concerning alleged FLSA violations unless it has consented to such suits.

However, the “overtime provision” set out in Section 134 of New York’s Civil Service Law preceded Congress’ attempt to make the states subject to FLSA. Accordingly, it could be argued that New York State, as an employer, did not “deliberately” waived its Eleventh Amendment immunity from suit by state workers for alleged violations of the FLSA in federal court based on the decision in Mueller v Thompson.

If a state adopts the FLSA as state law and allows state employees to sue it for alleged violations of the state’s law, it loses its Eleventh Amendment immunity from suit by its employees brought in the federal courts for alleged violations of the federal FLSA [Mueller v Thompson, 858 F.Supp. 885].

In Mueller, where Wisconsin was the employer, the court said that there is no waiver of a state’s Eleventh Amendment immunity “unless the state has made its intention to waive its rights under the amendment clear.” Wisconsin had incorporated FLSA into state law in 1971. In 1974 Congress amended the FLSA, making it applicable to the states and their political subdivisions. The 7th Circuit concluded that “on this legislative history” Wisconsin had not waived its 11th Amendment immunity because it adopted a state FLSA prior to 1974. Does this mean that payment for overtime is no longer required to be paid to employees of New York State? No, for a number of reasons.

Section 134 of the Civil Service Law provides for the payment of overtime at “time and one-half” to eligible state workers. Alleged violations of Section 134 - a state law - may be tested in state court. In addition, collective bargaining agreements negotiated pursuant to the Taylor Law may require payment for overtime. Violation of such types of provisions are typically subject to contract grievance arbitration procedures.

What about suing a political subdivision of a state for alleged violations of FLSA in federal court? According to the Alden ruling there is an “important limit” to the principle of sovereign immunity barring suits against States -- the immunity does not extend to suits prosecuted against a municipal corporation or other governmental entity that is not an arm of the State.
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