California Law on Meal and Rest Breaks Not Preempted by Federal Motor Carrier Law

A California appeals court Oct. 28 upheld a $964,500 verdict for a class of truck drivers at the Port of Oakland, Calif., whose employer had argued that their state-law claims regarding meal- and rest-period violations were preempted by federal law (Godfrey v. Oakland Port Servs. Corp., Cal. Ct. App., A139274, 10/28/14).

The California Court of Appeal, First District, rejected Oakland Port Services Corp.'s argument that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act preempted California’s meal-and-rest-break requirements. Writing for the court, Judge Steven Brick observed that while this action was pending, similar FAAAA preemption arguments were rejected by the ...