Miller v. Volkswagen of America, Inc., E-07-047 (9-19-2008)

**Miller v. Volkswagen of America: Court Rejects Worker Class Action** This case involved employees who tried to sue Volkswagen of America as a group (called a "class action") for allegedly breaking their employment contracts. The workers wanted to join together in one lawsuit rather than filing separate individual cases. The court decided against the employees. An appeals court overturned a lower court's decision that had allowed the workers to proceed as a group. The appeals court found that the way the employee group was defined was flawed and didn't meet Ohio's legal requirements for class action lawsuits. Essentially, the court said the workers couldn't move forward together and would need to pursue their contract claims individually if they chose to continue. **What this means for workers:** This ruling shows how challenging it can be to bring class action lawsuits against employers, even when multiple employees believe they have similar contract disputes. Courts have strict rules about when workers can band together in group lawsuits. If you and your coworkers believe your employer broke your contracts, you may need to pursue individual cases rather than assuming you can automatically join forces in court.