An airport services company has agreed to pay over $3.1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it failed to properly compensate its Boston Logan Airport workers, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday.
Swissport is a North Carolina-based company that employs approximately 2,100 workers at Logan Airport, including baggage handlers, fuel personnel, ramp agents and cleaners, the attorney general’s office said in a press release. The lawsuit — which was brought by the attorney general’s office — alleged that the airport services company failed to make timely payments to its Logan Airport employees, pay them overtime and maintain accurate employee payroll records.
The investigation into Swissport indicates that nearly all of its Logan Airport employees were impacted by violations of state wage and hour laws, the attorney general’s office said. The $3.1 million includes citations, penalties and restitution for workers’ unpaid wages.
“When employers violate our laws, including through wage theft and untimely payments, workers are unfairly harmed, exploited and financially deprived,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in the release. “My office will continue to enforce our laws to protect and empower workers, reminding employers that Massachusetts is serious about workers’ rights.”
Swissport settled the lawsuit “to avoid the expense and burden of litigation,” it said in a Thursday statement to MassLive.
“Swissport remains committed to upholding the highest standards in our workplace practices and will continue to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” the statement reads.
The attorney general’s office began investigating Swissport after receiving complaints alleging that it was failing to compensate its Logan Airport employees in accordance with state law, the attorney general’s office said. Some of the complaints were referred to the office by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ.
“We look forward to a continuing collaborative relationship with Swissport that will ensure that workers are properly compensated for the difficult and essential work they do and that systems are in place going forward to ensure workers are protected,” Roxana Rivera, assistant to the president of SEIU Local 32BJ, said in the release.
Workers in Massachusetts who believe their workplace rights have been violated are encouraged to file a complaint with the attorney general’s office at mass.gov/ago/fld. For more information about the state’s employment laws, call the attorney general’s office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or visit mass.gov/ago/fairlabor.