Oddo v. Bimbo Bakeries U.S.A., Inc.

391 F. Supp. 3d 466
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 12, 2019
DocketCiv. No. 17-4775
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 391 F. Supp. 3d 466 (Oddo v. Bimbo Bakeries U.S.A., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oddo v. Bimbo Bakeries U.S.A., Inc., 391 F. Supp. 3d 466 (E.D. Pa. 2019).

Opinion

Paul S. Diamond, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Christopher Oddo, Philip Brucato, and Michael Lennon, on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated, allege that Defendant Bimbo Bakeries U.S.A., Inc. and Does 1 through 10 violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law. (Doc. No. 11); 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. ; N.J.S. § 34.11-56a et seq. BBUSA has moved for summary judgment against the named Plaintiffs. (Doc. No. 62.) The matter has been fully briefed. (Doc. No. 66, 69.) I will deny BBUSA's Motion.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

I have construed the facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs and made all reasonable inferences in their favor. Hugh v. Butler Cty. Family YMCA, 418 F.3d 265, 267 (3d Cir. 2005).

BBUSA is a Pennsylvania company that bakes, sells, and distributes baked goods throughout the United States. (DeChristofano Decl. ¶ 3, Doc. No. 62-3.) The Company ships fresh baked products every week. (Id. at ¶ 11.) BBUSA Route Sales Representatives use commercial motor vehicles to transport BBUSA products to distribution centers and sales depots, often crossing state lines. (Id. at ¶¶ 2, 7, 12, 14.)

*468Plaintiffs are three current and former BBUSA RSRs in New Jersey who regularly drove BBUSA trucks to deliver and stock BBUSA products. (See Brucato Decl. ¶ 3, Doc. No. 66-3; Lennon Decl. ¶ 3, Doc. No. 66-5; Oddo Decl. ¶ 2, Doc. No. 66-4; see also Def.'s Mem. Law Supp. Renewed Mot. Summ. J., 3 n.3, Doc. No. 62-2 (Brucato is now deceased).)

From July 2013, the earliest date within the three-year limitations period, to July 2016, Plaintiffs primarily drove BBUSA trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating greater than 10,000 pounds. (See Exs. F-H to DeChristofano Decl., Doc. No. 62-4 (GVWR and fueling records); Brucato Decl. ¶¶ 8-9; Lennon Decl. ¶¶ 6-7; Oddo's Am. Resp. to Def's Second Set of Interrogs. 1-2, Doc. No. 66-6); see also 29 U.S.C. § 255(a) (establishing maximum three-year limitations period for FLSA violations). Plaintiffs occasionally, however, drove smaller BBUSA trucks. (See Ex. H to Pl.'s Br. Opp'n to Def.'s Mot. Summ. J., Doc. No. 66-8 (summarizing Plaintiffs' small vehicle usage).)

Viewed in Plaintiffs' favor, fuel cards show that: (1) Lennon drove a smaller BBUSA truck in 9 out of 120 workweeks; (2) Brucato drove a smaller BBUSA truck in 4 out of 256 workweeks; and (3) Oddo drove a smaller BBUSA truck in 3 out of 289 workweeks. (See id.; Exs. F-H to DeChristofano Decl.; see also Pl.'s Resp. to Def.'s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ¶¶ 20-25, Doc. No. 66-1 (although BBUSA states that Lennon worked 181 weeks during the relevant period, Plaintiffs state that he worked 120 weeks because of "vacation and other reasons").) It is undisputed that these records adequately capture Plaintiffs' use of smaller BBUSA trucks. (See also Brucato Decl. ¶¶ 14-17 ("I used [a BBUSA] fuel card to refuel only the trucks driven by me on the route; I always used the fuel card to refuel my truck while I was out on my route delivering Defendant's products; [ ] I could work seven (7) days before I had to refuel one of the smaller box trucks."); Lennon Decl. ¶¶ 8-13 (same); Oddo Decl. ¶¶ 4-8 (same).) Lennon also recalls using "a personal vehicle to deliver BBUSA products ... once or twice during the last three to five years," but cannot remember the specific dates or workweeks. (See Lennon's Second Am. Resp. to Def.'s Second Set of Interrogs. 2, Doc. No. 66-7.)

Plaintiffs also allege that before July 2013, they always used smaller BBUSA trucks to deliver products. (See Brucato Decl. ¶ 5; Lennon Decl. ¶ 5; Oddo Decl. ¶ 3.) Whether Plaintiffs used small vehicles before July 2013 is irrelevant for purposes of this Motion, however, because such dates fall outside the maximum limitations period, and Plaintiffs have presented no grounds for equitable tolling. See Guenzel v. Mount Olive Bd. of Educ., No. 10-4452, 2012 WL 556256, at *2 (D.N.J. Feb. 16, 2012) ("Because each FLSA violation gives rise to a new cause of action, each failure to pay overtime begins a new statute of limitations period as to that particular event." (citation omitted)); see also Podobnik v. United States Postal Serv., 409 F.3d 584, 591 (3d Cir. 2005) (equitable tolling is appropriate: (1) "where the defendant has actively misled the plaintiff respecting the plaintiff's cause of action, and that deception causes non-compliance with an applicable limitations provision"; (2) "where the plaintiff in some extraordinary way has been prevented from asserting his rights"; or (3) "where the plaintiff has timely asserted his or her rights mistakenly in the wrong forum"), abrogated on other grounds by Rotkiske v. Klemm, 890 F.3d 422 (3d Cir. 2018) (en banc).

During the relevant period, Plaintiffs received a base salary and commissions. Plaintiffs often worked more than 40 hours *469a week, but did not receive overtime compensation. (See, e.g., Oddo's Am. Resp. to Def.'s Second Set of Interrogs. 1; Lennon's Second Am. Resp. to Def.'s Second Set of Interrogs. 1-2; see also Lennon's Time R., Ex. F. to Pl.'s Br. Opp'n to Def.'s Mot. Summ. J., Doc. No. 68.)

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 13, 2016, Plaintiffs filed the instant action, on behalf of themselves and other similarly-situated individuals, against BBUSA and Does 1 through 10 in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, seeking overtime under the FLSA and the NJWHL. (Doc. No. 1-1); 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. ; N.J.S. § 34.11-56a et seq. On October 23, 2017, the Parties stipulated to transfer the case to this Court. (Doc. No. 1-32.) On October 25, 2017, the case was assigned to me. (Doc. No. 1.) On November 7, 2017, Plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint, adding Plaintiff Charles Marvasso and a new claim under the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act. (Doc. No. 11); 43 P.S. § 333.101,

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