Teamsters Local Union No. 117 v. State, Doc

**Prison Workers Win Right to Fight for On-Call Pay** This case involved prison employees represented by Teamsters Local Union 117 who were required to carry pagers while on-call but weren't paid for that time. The workers argued they should receive wages for being available to respond to emergencies, even when not actively working at the prison. The state's Department of Corrections disagreed and refused to pay for on-call time. Initially, a lower court dismissed the case entirely, ruling that the union couldn't even bring the lawsuit on behalf of its members. However, the appeals court overturned this decision. The appeals court ruled that the union did have the legal right to sue the state for unpaid wages on behalf of the prison workers. The court sent the case back to the lower court to determine whether the workers should actually be paid for their on-call time. This decision matters for workers because it establishes that unions can fight wage disputes in court on behalf of their members. It also opens the door for employees to potentially get paid for time spent on-call with pagers or similar devices, recognizing that being available for work has value even when not actively performing duties.