Settlement reached in Monro Inc. unpaid wages lawsuit

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A $650,000 settlement has apparently been reached in a class-action lawsuit over unpaid wages against Monro Inc.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford initially rejected the settlement last month because the agreement provided for attorneys’ fees to be calculated as a percentage of the gross settlement amount, rather than the net settlement amount, after deducting costs and expenses, according to court papers.

On Tuesday, the plaintiffs’ attorney filed a new motion for final approval of the modified settlement.

Wolford denied the original motion for final settlement, but found the agreement otherwise “fair, reasonable, and adequate.”

The settlement was modified to provide that plaintiff’s attorney’s fees will be calculated as one-third of the net settlement amount, rather than as a percentage of the gross settlement amount.

The total settlement payment was unchanged at $650,000, and the net settlement amount is $604,023.18, calculated by subtracting from the total settlement payment:

• A $3,000 service award for Kyle Wise, the representative plaintiff.
• A payment of $38,626 to the settlement administrator
• Litigation expenses and costs of $4,350.82 for the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

According to the agreement, the plaintiffs’ attorneys will be paid one-third of the net settlement amount — $201,341.06.

The plaintiffs are represented by Nilges Draher LLC in North Canton, Ohio.

The complaint claimed that Monro had a company-wide policy of not paying hourly employees for all hours worked, resulting in unpaid overtime.

Monro owns and operates more than 1,300 auto repair shops and tire dealers in 32 states.

Wise was employed by Monro from July 19, 2021, through July 3, 2023, as a tech/assistant manager who was paid about $16 per hour.

Wise and others in his position also received commissions on sales and received a bonus based on a percentage of management’s bonus.

Employees, like Wise, routinely worked through unpaid meal breaks, or were interrupted by work during the unpaid break, which resulted in unpaid time, the complaint claims.

Monro has a company-wide policy of deducting 30 minutes for unpaid meal regardless of whether the employees, actually took their meal breaks at all, or when the meal breaks were interrupted by work duties, the suit claims.

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