Iowa City Looks to Settle FLSA Lawsuit over Misclassification of Fire Captains and Battalion Chiefs

The City of Muscatine, Iowa is the latest city looking to settle an overtime lawsuit filed by several senior fire officers. In a September 2021 lawsuit, a group of five firefighters alleged the city improperly classified fire captains and battalion chiefs as overtime exempt employees.

According to the firefighters, the city changed pay practices and started paying captains overtime in March 2020. Then in March 2021, the city began paying battalion chiefs’ overtime. However, according to the firefighters, the city never provided either group of employees any back wages. Now, according to the Muscatine Journal, the city is looking to settle that lawsuit for almost $32,000.

Department of Labor regulations require first responders receive overtime pay regardless of their rank or pay level. Whether a senior fire officer is a first responder or a manager is often a tricky determination that involves a careful examination of the facts. As many FirefighterOvertime readers are likely aware, the claims made by these Muscatine firefighters are rather common today.

Click, here for more on the story from the Muscatine Journal.