Case Spotlight Archives

U.S. Department of Labor Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits, Including Workers Who Refuse to Work in Unsafe Conditions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have made the difficult choice not to return to an unsafe workplace or to decline a new offer of unsafe work to avoid the risk of catching the virus. On February 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance announcing that individuals in these situations, in addition…

New York Wins against U.S. Department of Labor: Expanding Paid Leave during COVID-19

On August 2, 2020, a Manhattan federal judge ruled in favor of the State of New York by striking down the Trump administration’s standard for determining which employees are eligible for relief under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (“Act”). The Department of Labor’s interpretation of the Act created excessive loopholes allowing employers to deny…

Levy Ratner Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of SEIU and 1199SEIU Supporting New York Challenge to DOL COVID-19 Regulations

Levy Ratner filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Service Employees International Union and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East supporting the New York State Attorney General’s lawsuit challenging the Trump Department of Labor’s regulations interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The amicus brief supports the NYS Attorney General’s argument that the federal…

Researcher and Google Activist

Meredith Whittaker is a Research Professor at New York University, the Co-founder of NYU’s AI Now Institute, and the founder of Google’s Open Research group. She was also a leader in labor organizing efforts, including the Google Walkout and other mobilizations, while employed at Google Her organizing drew from her research, recognizing that a powerful…

Fight for $15

In our role representing the Fast Food Workers Committee, Levy Ratner attorneys helped structure successful workplace actions and demonstrations in New York City that formed a foundation for the national living‑wage movement known as Fight for $15. Micah Wissinger was one of the architects of landmark litigation before the National Labor Relations Board involving McDonald’s Corporation and…

Levy Ratner Champions the Rights of Low‑Wage Workers in Alabama Wage Law Litigation

This case began in 2015 when the Alabama state legislature passed a bill to block the Birmingham City Council’s attempt to raise the minimum wage in Birmingham to $10.10. The wage increase would have made Birmingham the first city in the South to raise its minimum wage. The legislature’s decision to block the wage increase,…

Black and Latino Electricians Fight Racial Discrimination by the City of New York….And Win a Settlement

The City of New York agreed to pay $155,000, plus attorneys’ fees, to five black and Latino electricians in their claims of race discrimination and retaliation against the FDNY. They were represented by Levy Ratner’s Dana E. Lossia and Robert H. Stroup.

Restaurant Workers Awarded $400k in Wage Violation Case

When seven restaurant workers sued their employer for claims of unpaid overtime and minimum wage violations, Levy Ratner’s Allyson L. Belovin reached a settlement of more than $400,000 on their behalf. Judge Ronnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, awarded the plaintiffs’ recoveries ranging from $15,700 up to $85,650 each,…

Women Hold Cleveland Fire Department Accountable for Job Discrimination

Cleveland’s written and physical tests for firefighter jobs discriminate against women, found the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, based upon charges filed by Levy Ratner’s Dana Lossia and Rebekah Cook-Mack, along with our co-counsel at Nichols Kaster, PLLP. Our clients are women who were unfairly disqualified in the testing process and are demanding fair hiring…

Black and Latino firefighter hopefuls get a second chance to join the FDNY

Roughly 25% of New York City residents are African American, but for decades the FDNY’s firefighting force was only around 3% black. Levy Ratner began investigating this disparity and learned that the City’s hiring process was systematically excluding black firefighter candidates who were well qualified to serve their City. Our clients – a group of…