FLSA Action Could Not Be Certified Under California Class Action Statute

Haro v. City of Rosemead, 174 Cal. App. 4th 1067 (2009)

Randy Haro and Robert Ballin filed an action against the city of Rosemead alleging a violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The trial court denied plaintiffs’ motion to have the class certified pursuant to Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 382 (the California class action statute) on the ground that an FLSA collective action (which requires members of the collective action to affirmatively opt-in) cannot be prosecuted as a class action under California law (which requires class members to opt-out). The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal from the trial court’s orders denying class certification and denying leave to amend the complaint, holding that “an FLSA action has to be litigated according to rules that are specifically applicable to these actions and if litigants do not like these rules, they should not file under the FLSA.” Cf. Smith v. T-Mobile USA Inc., 2009 WL 1651531 (9th Cir. 2009) (plaintiffs who had voluntarily settled their FLSA claims before appeal was filed could not continue to prosecute action, rendering appeal moot).