Office & Professional Employees International Union Local 32 v. Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority

**Union Wins Back Pay for Workers Denied Overtime** This case involved sludge dewatering machine operators at Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority who were unfairly denied overtime pay. The workers' union argued that the employer violated their contract by giving the operators' overtime work to employees in different job categories, essentially cutting the operators out of overtime opportunities they were entitled to under their collective bargaining agreement. The court sided with the union and upheld an arbitrator's decision to award the affected workers $21,318.22 in back pay. The employer had argued that back pay wasn't specifically mentioned as a remedy in their contract, so it shouldn't be allowed. However, the court disagreed, ruling that back pay is an appropriate remedy when an employer violates a union contract, even if the contract doesn't explicitly list it as an option. **What this means for workers:** If your employer violates your union contract by denying you work or pay you're entitled to, you may be able to recover the money you lost through arbitration or court action. Union contracts don't need to spell out every possible remedy - courts can order back pay to make workers whole when employers break their agreements.