ABRA Attempts Mediation in Lawsuit Filed by Former Employees

In a suit in which two former employees have claimed that they were misclassified and therefore were denied overtime pay by ABRA Autobody and Glass, the defendant's attorney filed for an extension yesterday in the U. S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, noting the parties have agreed to mediation. According to a letter addressed to Judge Janie S. Mayeron dated October 17, the two parties will attempt to mediate the matter with Joan Morrow in Washington, D.C., on November 27 and 28. The letter, signed by Joseph Sokolowski of Fredrikson & Byron P.A. in Minneapolis, where ABRA is based, also requests an extension to file a response to the complaint—-the third extension requested—until December 18, "in the event mediation is unsuccessful."

The original class-action suit was filed on July 17 and ABRA's answer was due originally on August 20. An extension was granted until September 4, and then until today, October 18.

Clayton Halunen of D. Halunen & Associates, the law firm that represents the plaintiffs, Thomas Hale and Justin Shreckenstein, has been unable to be reached for comment.

Sokolowski has declined to comment on the case.

CLICK HERE for related story regarding previous extenstion.

CLICK HERE for related story about original suit.

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