Introduction to Law

Case 1

Salazar Construction Inc (SCI) is a badly run company. As a result of a poor business model, insufficient resources, inadequate training, and insensitive managers, it has generated a remarkable level of ill will amongst its workers. Antonio Salazar founded the company 30 years ago, but he long ago sold his interest in the business and he consequently no longer plays any role within the corporation. It nevertheless bothers him to see the workers at SCI suffer and he recently decided that enough is enoughsomeones got to do something. He wants to bring a class action claim against SCI on behalf of its current and former employees. He believes that there are at least three sets of claims. First, although they do not realize it, one group of workers has been systematically underpaid for the past decade. Second, many former employees were forced into early retirement as a result of injuries that they suffered because SCI forced them to work in dangerous conditions. And third, Antonio Salazar knows that a small number of female employeesthree or four secretarieshave dealt with various forms of sexual harassment over the years.

Is Antonio Salazar entitled to bring a class action claim against SCI on those bases?

What benefits do class action proceedings generally create?