A Tacoma health system is set to pay millions in a class-action settlement over lost wages regarding meals and rest breaks in a lawsuit brought by two former workers.
Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System has agreed to pay $42 million to settle the lawsuit brought by lead plaintiffs Tabitha Koshman and Jodi Schreiner. Thousands of health care workers are covered by the settlement.
Koshman worked as a registered nurse at MultiCare Auburn Medical Center from June 2017 to December 2019 while Schreiner worked at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital from August 2019 to September 2021.
The pair alleged that the health system’s time clock rounding policy did not comply with state law, resulting in hourly employees being underpaid.
They also alleged that MultiCare did not provide second meal periods when employees worked shifts longer than 10.5 hours and failed to ensure employees “take all legally required rest breaks and first meal periods at Auburn Medical Center,” according to the settlement document. Their complaint also contended the health system did not compensate Auburn employees when breaks or meal periods were “missed, interrupted, or shortened.”
Marce Edwards Olson, MultiCare media representative, told The News Tribune in an emailed statement, “MultiCare denies these claims and asserts that all of its policies and practices in this regard are lawful.
“However, to avoid a lengthy and costly legal battle, the organization agreed to this settlement.”
She added, “The court...
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