State Supreme Court reverses granting class-action status to VA workers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas' highest court says a lawsuit by a group of Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs employees who claim they weren't paid for meal breaks they were required to work shouldn't be a class-action case.

Justices on Thursday reversed a Pulaski County judge's decision to grant class-action status to the hourly, non-nursing employees suing the state agency. The workers say that the department automatically deducted 30 minutes per day from their paycheck for meal breaks, even though they were regularly required to work during that time.

In the 4-3 ruling, the court said the employees' claims were too individualized to be a class-action case. The court in June upheld class-action status for a similar lawsuit filed by a group of nurses against the department.

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