Brickey v. Dolencorp, Inc.
Plaintiffs, former employees, initiated a nationwide collective action under the FLSA and a class action under Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 23 to recover for unpaid overtime. Four plaintiffs also assert state wage and hour law violations, seeking supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1367. Defendants moved to dismiss the Rule 23 state law class claims, arguing a lack of supplemental jurisdiction due to the absence of a "common nucleus of fact" and concerns about managing claims across potentially numerous state laws. The court denied the defendants' motion, finding that the plaintiffs' allegations sufficiently established a common nucleus of fact and that declining supplemental jurisdiction was not warranted at this juncture, despite potential future complexities with various state laws. The court emphasized judicial economy and fairness in hearing both federal and state claims together.