Airlines Try to Clip Wings in Flight Attendants’ Overtime Suits

Airlines are fighting a series of lawsuits potentially worth millions of dollars alleging California overtime law covers flight attendants who fly into and out of the state’s airports.

Delta Air Lines Inc., Virgin America Inc., and JetBlue Airways Corp. argue the U.S. Constitution pre-empts California wage-and-hour law requiring time-and-a-half pay for hours worked over eight in a day. They also argue Federal Aviation Administration regulations speak to passenger safety first and specify worker rest periods, pre-empting the California Labor Code requirements for workers to get breaks free from job duties.

Two judges with the U.S. District Court for the ...