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United States Tennis Association USTA ACCUSED OF FEDERAL AND STATE LABOR LAW VIOLATIONS BY UMPIRES AT THE U.S. OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENTS NEW YORK, NEW YORK, September 8, 2011 – Four umpires have filed a class and collective action lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association (USTA) for wage and hour violations. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 11-Civ-6268) on behalf of persons who worked as umpires in the main draw and in qualifying matches at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the U.S. Open tennis tournaments held in 2005 through 2011. The U.S. Open is held annually in New York City in late August and early September. It is one of four "Grand Slam" tournaments that are the highlights of the year for professional tennis players. In 2011, the U.S. Open will award players more than $23,000,000 in total prize money. The USTA employs about three hundred umpires in total during the tournament, who come from all over the United States and many foreign countries. On April 25, 2012, the case against USTA has been certified as a class action on behalf of all Umpires who worked at the U.S. Open in any year from 2005 to the present. (Decision) The Court held, among other things, that given the "uniform classification of Umpires, the uniform description of Umpires' duties, the finite three-week period during which the U.S.Open event takes place once a year, and the discrete, geographical location of the Open" that the case would be "best litigated at the class [action] level". The Court also appointed Abbey Spanier, LLP and the Law Offices of Mitchell Schley, LLC as class counsel noting that they have been "vigorous representatives of the putative class". Judith L. Spanier of Abbey Spanier, LLP, and the Law Offices of Mitchell Schley, LLC, represent the plaintiffs. The lawsuit seeks collective and class action status, and monetary damages. Two Notices were mailed to current and former umpires. Both notices relate to the Meyer v. United States Tennis Association case. These Notices are: the "Notice of Pendency of Class Action" and the "Notice of Collective Action and Opt In Form". If you have any questions, please call us. Attorney Contacts: Law Offices of Mitchell Schley, LLC
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