Seafood Processor Must Face Alaska Wage and Hour Suit

UniSea Inc. must face a seasonal seafood processor’s potential wage class action because the arbitration provisions in his employment documents are unconscionable, a federal court in Seattle said.

UniSea processes crab, pollock, and Pacific cod in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Due to the seasonal nature of the work, the company hires processing employees under six-month employment agreements.

Amichai Ohring alleges UniSea violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Alaska Wage and Hour Act by not paying its workers at the facility for the time it takes them to put on and remove their protective gear. He seeks to have the ...