Steel Company to Pay $6.15M in Unpaid Wages to Hourly Workers

A Washington-based steel manufacturer has agreed to pay $6.15 million to resolve claims that it failed to fully compensate its hourly employees for all hours worked.

A federal judge recently approved the settlement, which ends a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of nearly 200 current and former hourly steel workers at the company’s Kalama, Washington facility. The lawsuit alleged that employees were paid only for their scheduled shifts, rather than the actual time they spent performing job-related tasks before and after their shifts.

According to court filings, workers were required to swipe in through security, gear up, walk to their workstations, and receive updates from the previous shift — all before their paid shift officially began. Similarly, they had to perform additional tasks after their shifts ended, yet these extra minutes were not reflected in their paychecks.

These unpaid minutes added up — often pushing employees beyond 40 hours per week without overtime compensation. As a result, the lawsuit claimed the company’s timekeeping practices violated state wage and hour laws and resulted in chronic underpayment.

Notably, the company reportedly revised its pay policy in late 2023, beginning to compensate workers for the time spent on required pre- and post-shift tasks.

This case is a powerful reminder that employers must pay workers for all time spent performing job-related duties — not just the hours listed on a schedule. If you believe your employer is not paying you fairly for all the time you work, contact the experienced attorneys at Fitapelli & Schaffer for a free consultation.