A former dishwasher’s lawsuit accusing the operator of Shirley’s Coffee Shop of failing to pay overtime will move forward after a federal judge ruled the complaint meets the standard to proceed.
On Monday, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands issued a screening order allowing plaintiff Rizalina Bermudes Reyes to pursue her claims against Dynamic Core Group Inc. The court also granted Reyes permission to proceed in forma pauperis, waiving court fees based on her income.
Manglona found that Reyes’ complaint “does not meet conditions for dismissal” and is not “frivolous or malicious.” She directed the clerk of court to issue summonses to the defendants.
Reyes alleges Dynamic Core Group violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay her for 15 to 30 minutes of work she says she performed “almost every day” after closing at the company’s Garapan restaurant. She claims the unpaid time occurred after customers finished late meals and staff were required to continue cleaning and closing duties.
According to the complaint, Reyes worked for the company from July 2022 through December 2024 at a regular hourly rate of $8.03. Her schedule was initially 40 hours per week before being reduced to 32 hours in mid‑2023. She alleges the company paid her strictly according to her scheduled hours, regardless of the time she actually worked.
The lawsuit argues that when she was scheduled for 40 hours, the extra minutes constituted unpaid overtime, and when her schedule dropped to 32 hours, the additional time still amounted to unpaid regular hours. Reyes further claims the company maintained a deliberate policy of not paying non‑exempt employees for work performed past their scheduled shifts.
Dynamic Core Group, which operates Shirley’s Coffee Shop locations in Garapan and Susupe, is accused of willfully violating federal wage laws despite requiring employees to clock in and out and maintaining records of hours worked.
Reyes is seeking compensatory and liquidated damages for alleged FLSA violations and breach of contract.
