Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc.

231 F.R.D. 602, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38160, 2005 WL 3148239
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 20, 2005
DocketNo. CV04-1498 CBM
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 231 F.R.D. 602 (Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc., 231 F.R.D. 602, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38160, 2005 WL 3148239 (C.D. Cal. 2005).

Opinion

AMENDED ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION

CONSUELO BLAND MARSHALL, District Judge.

The matter before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. On November 15, 2004, counsel for the parties appeared before the Court, the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall presiding. Upon consideration of the papers and arguments submitted, Plaintiffs Motion is GRANTED.

JURISDICTION

This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1367.

BACKGROUND & PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiffs Lynne Wang, Yu Fang Ines Kai, and Hui Jung Pao, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, filed this suit on March 5, 2004, alleging multiple labor violations by Defendant Chinese Daily News, Inc. pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), the California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq. and the California Labor Code. Defendant publishes the largest Chinese language newspaper in North America. Plaintiffs are current and former employees of Defendant’s Monterey Park office, which has nearly 200 employees. None of the Plaintiffs is a native English speaker, and some cannot read or write in English. Plaintiffs allege that Defendant violated California Labor laws by denying its employees the following protections: (1) overtime wages and statutory penalties to which they are entitled; (2) the opportunity to take meal and rest breaks or to receive appropriate penalties in lieu of such breaks; and (3) appropriate payroll records and item[605]*605ized wage statements containing the information required by state law.

On June 24, 2004, Plaintiffs filed this Motion for Class Certification pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) or, alternatively, 23(b)(3). Plaintiffs request certification of a class consisting of “[a]ll former, current, and future non-exempt employees of Defendant who worked at Chinese Daily News in Monterey Park, California at any time since March 5, 2000.” This motion does not concern the FLSA claims, which require individual consent and cannot be litigated pursuant to Rule 23. Defendant filed a timely Opposition on July 26, 2004. Plaintiffs filed a timely Reply on August 8, 2004. The Court issued an order granting the class certification on November 23, 2004. On December 2, 2004, Defendant filed a Motion for Reconsideration, which the Court denied as moot based on its intent to issue this Amended Order addressing the various issues raised in the Motion for Reconsideration.

STANDARD OF LAW

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 23 (“FRCP 23”) governs the certification of class actions. A class action must meet the requirements of Rule 23(a) and fall within one of three categories set forth in Rule 23(b). For a class to be certified under Rule 23(a), Plaintiffs must show that the following conditions are met: (1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impractical; (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class; (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and (4) the representatives will fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class. See also Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 117 S.Ct. 2231, 138 L.Ed.2d 689 (1997).

In addition, Rule 23(b) requires one of the following subdivisions to be met: (1) there is risk of inconsistent or unfair adjudication; (2) the defendant acted on grounds generally applicable to the class, making injunctive or declaratory relief appropriate as to the class as a whole; or (3) common questions of law or fact predominate and class resolution is superior to other available methods for fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy. Rule 23(b).

A district court may certify a class only if, after “rigorous analysis,” it determines that the plaintiff has established by sufficient evidence that all of the requirements set forth by Rule 23 are satisfied. See General Telephone Co. of the Southwest v. Falcon, 457 U.S. 147, 158-161, 102 S.Ct. 2364, 72 L.Ed.2d 740 (1982). In determining whether an action warrants class treatment under FRCP 23, “the question is not whether the plaintiff or plaintiffs have stated a cause of action or will prevail on the merits, but rather whether the requirements of Rule 23 are met.” Bisen, 417 U.S. at 177, 94 S.Ct. 2140. At this early stage of the litigation, the Court must only determine if the plaintiffs have proffered enough evidence to meet the requirements of FRCP 23, not weigh competing evidence. See Staton, et al. v. Boeing Company, 327 F.3d 938, 954 (9th Cir.2003). On a motion for class certification, the court “is bound to take the substantive allegations of the complaint as true.” Blackie v. Barrack, 524 F.2d 891, 901 n. 17 (9th Cir.1975).

ANALYSIS

I. FRCP 23(a) Prerequisites to Class Certification are Satisfied

The Court finds that the class consisting of “[a]ll former, current, and future non-exempt employees of Defendant who worked at Chinese Daily News in Monterey Park, California at any time since March 5, 2000” satisfies the four prerequisites for class certification under Rule 23(a).

A. Numerosity

Rule 23(a)(1) provides that a class action may be maintained only if “the class is so numerous that joinder of all parties is impracticable.” However, “impracticable” does not mean impossible; it refers only to the difficulty or inconvenience of joining all members of the class. See Harris v. Palm Springs Alpine Estates, Inc., 329 F.2d 909, 913 (9th Cir.1964). Although there is no fixed number of class members which either compels or precludes the certification of a [606]*606class, “where a class is large in numbers, joinder will usually be impracticable.” Jordan v. County of Los Angeles, 669 F.2d 1311, 1319 (9th Cir.1982), vacated on other grounds, 459 U.S. 810, 103 S.Ct. 35, 74 L.Ed.2d 48 (1982). “No exact numerical cutoff can be stated. Rather, the specific facts of each case must be examined.” General Telephone Co. v. EEOC, 446 U.S. 318, 330, 100 S.Ct. 1698, 64 L.Ed.2d 319 (1980).

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231 F.R.D. 602, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38160, 2005 WL 3148239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wang-v-chinese-daily-news-inc-cacd-2005.