Beck v. Boce Group, L.C.

391 F. Supp. 2d 1183, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28399, 2005 WL 2335335
District Court, S.D. Florida·Decided September 15, 2005·No. 04-20683-CIV·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT PRESIDION SOLUTIONS, INC’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AS TO PLAINTIFFS’ AMENDED COMPLAINT

COOKE, District Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the Court upon Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint (DE 189), filed May 20, 2005. For the reasons set forth below, Defendant Presidion Solutions, Ine.’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint is hereby GRANTED.

*1185 I. Introduction

On March 23, 2004, the Plaintiffs Matthew Beck, Jeff Holden, Aimee Polanco, and Debbie Mozer on their own behalf and on behalf of others similarly situated (hereinafter “Plaintiffs”) filed suit against the Defendants Boce Group, L.C., Bo Onur, Nur Ozuyilmaz, Sedat Onur, Jim Onur, and Presidion Solutions, Inc. In this suit the Plaintiffs allege that the Defendants failed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (“FLSA”) requirements concerning minimum wage, overtime compensation, and discrimination and retaliation. Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. has since filed a Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint. This Motion is the subject of the present summary judgment order.

II. Procedural History

The Plaintiffs’ filed an Amended Complaint on April 5, 2004 (DE 9). On May 20, 2005 Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. filed a motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint 1 (DE 189). The Plaintiffs subsequently filed a Response on June 14, 2005 (DE 207). Finally, Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. filed its Reply (DE 221) on July 8, 2005. Thus, Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment as to Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint has been fully briefed and is ripe for adjudication. The Court having carefully considered the case file and being duly advised, finds summary judgment to be appropriate in this case.

III.Legal Standard

Pursuant to Rule 56(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” According to the U.S. Supreme Court, “the plain language of Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Further, Rule 56(e) “requires the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and by her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. Thus, the nonmoving party “ ‘may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’ ” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). See also, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) stating “[w]hen the moving party has carried its burden under Rule 56(c), its opponent must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.”

*1186 IV. Factual Background

The Plaintiffs were employed as servers by the Boce Group, L.C. d/b/a the Nexxt Cafe, a popular restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida. Compl. at ¶¶ 6, 15. As part of their job duties the Plaintiffs were required to wait on customers, take food and beverage orders, deliver food to tables, place orders with the kitchen staff, bill customers for food and beverage orders, and collect money from customers. Id. On March 23, 2004 the Plaintiffs filed the instant action against the Defendants alleging violations of the FLSA. Specifically, the Plaintiffs allege: (1) the Defendants failed to pay Plaintiffs the statutory minimum wage in accordance with the FLSA; (2) the Defendants failed to pay the Plaintiffs the statutory overtime rate for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week in accordance with the FLSA; and (3) the Defendants discriminated and retaliated against the Plaintiffs after learning of the present lawsuit. Defendant Presi-dion Solutions, Inc. now seeks summary judgment as to the Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint on the following grounds: 1) Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. is not the proper corporate defendant in this action 2 ; and 2) Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. was not the Plaintiffs “employer” for purposes of the FLSA. However, for purposes of this Order, the Court will assume that Defendant Presidion Solutions, Inc. is the proper corporate defendant in this action and that Presidion Solutions, Inc. and SCI are the same entity.

V. Analysis

A. FLSA and governing case law

The FLSA defines the term “employer” as to include “any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee and includes a public agency, but does not include any labor organization (other than when acting as an employer) or anyone acting in the capacity of officer or agent of such labor organization.” 29 U.S.C. § 203(d). Under the FLSA, “to employ” means “to suffer or to permit to work.” 29 U.S.C. § 203(g). “A determination of employment status under the FLSA is a question of federal law.” Jeanneret v. Aron’s East Coast Towing, Inc., No. 01-8001, 2002 WL 32114470 at *2 (S.D.Fla. June 29, 2002) (citing Antenor v. D & S Farms, 88 F.3d 925, 933 (11th Cir.1996)). In making this determination Courts must evaluate the economic realities of the individual case rather than rely upon traditional common law principles. See Antenor, 88 F.3d at 933. The focus of the economic realities test is whether the plaintiff was dependent upon the putative employer. Id. at 932. In utilizing the economic realities test courts must look at the surrounding circumstances of the whole activity. See, Aimable v. Long & Scott Farms,

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Beck v. Boce Group, L.C., 391 F. Supp. 2d 1183, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28399, 2005 WL 2335335 (S.D. Fla. 2005).

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