Walmart Must Face Auto Technicians’ Collective Wage Lawsuit

A lawsuit accusing Walmart Inc. of requiring its auto technicians to work during unpaid breaks will be allowed to move forward as a nationwide collective action, a federal court in Ohio said.

David Fortney and Eli Triplett allege that Walmart has a policy requiring auto technicians at its retail stores to respond to work-related text messages, Facebook messages, phone calls, and other communications while they’re on unpaid meal breaks. Walmart allegedly doesn’t pay the employees for this work, including overtime wages if it pushes their work week above 40 hours.

Fortney and Triplett brought collective action claims under the Fair ...