SCHENECTADY, NY - Price Chopper’s attorneys are reported to be in talks to settle a two-year-old case of both current and former employees claiming the retailer failed to pay them overtime.
The plaintiffs are out of New York, Pennsylvania, and New England, according to news source Timesunion, who reports that it is unclear how much the plaintiffs are seeking.
A conservative number estimated, not including interest and legal fees, was around $4 million, based on an “informal calculation.”
There has been hearsay of Price Chopper being for sale since last summer, with the most recent rumors listing Albertsons as an interested buyer for the chain in an acquisition of as much as $1 billion.
Those discussions are still unconfirmed by Price Chopper, which also refuted the reports of shopping for buyers in August.
The current case has been stayed pending the outcome of revisited settlement talks that took place Dec. 12, after the employees and Price Chopper worked with mediation.
"Mediation has begun and is continuing," Mona Golub, Vice President of Public Relations and Consumer Services for Price Chopper said Monday, according to Timesunion.
While the Dec. 12 meeting did not see a settlement, the letter filed with the court Monday stated the two sides continue to talk with "substantial progress" achieved.
The next status reports to the court are due Jan. 6, 2017.
