Did CVS deny 1,000 pharmacists overtime pay?

That’s the assertion a Philadelphia-area pharmacist is making in a federal class action suit filed recently at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Junius Baugh, a former assistant pharmacist for several stores in the Philadelphia area, alleges that more than 1,000 pharmacists are owed unpaid overtime wages. CVS has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.

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Baugh, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, alleges CVS Pharmacy violated state and federal labor laws by employing him more than 40 hours per week but not compensating him at overtime rates for the additional hours.

According to a story in the Pennsylvania Record, Baugh worked as an assistant pharmacist at several CVS stores in the Philadelphia area. From October 2011 to October 2012, he said he worked as an hourly subordinate pharmacist. In that capacity, he said he was required to work shifts at different CVS locations as a floater that filled in as needed, or for sick or absent pharmacists.

Baugh said his shifts were arranged beforehand through a CVS scheduler. During some months, Baugh said he worked between 100 and 130 hours in a two-week pay period.

Baugh claims he should have been paid $88.40 for the overtime hours, but was paid his regular hourly rate of $58.93 for all hours worked.

His lawsuits asserts that more than 1,000 pharmacists employed by CVS would be eligible for the class action suit, including several hundred from 406 CVS locations in Pennsylvania.