Month: October 2022

Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss LLP attorneys Walter Meginniss Jr. and Amelia Tuminaro, representing several first responders and their union, reached a settlement with New York City in litigation over work restrictions imposed after the workers spoke to the media about COVID-19 conditions.

U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the case after the parties jointly informed the court of the agreement. The lawsuit, filed in 2020 by emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and the Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors Local 2507, alleged that the City unlawfully restricted duties such as patient care, overtime, and driving FDNY vehicles in retaliation for media interviews given by several first responders.

Judge Liman had previously ruled that the workers’ First Amendment and state constitutional free speech claims were entitled to proceed to a jury trial, while dismissing due process claims. The planned trial was avoided through the settlement, which is still being finalized.

The case is Oren Barzilay et al. v. City of New York et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-04452, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Read Law360’s coverage.

Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss LLP attorney Katherine Hansen, representing 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, urged a New York federal judge to reject an attempt by Alaris Health at Hamilton Park and Confidence Management Systems to vacate a nearly $866,000 judgment in a wage dispute.

In its filing, the union argued that the companies offered no valid excuse for failing to pay workers, pointing out that they were aware of the litigation but waited months after judgment was entered before taking action. The filing emphasized that further delay could deprive health care workers of long-overdue compensation and warned that vacating the judgment might allow the employers to avoid liability entirely. The union also asked the court to award attorney fees and costs for having to oppose the motion.

The case is 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East v. Alaris Health at Hamilton Park et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-00531, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Read Law360’s coverage.