Filed: Apr. 12, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 12, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-50713 Summary Calendar ELEAZAR GONZALEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus ERNESTO GONZALEZ, SUK CHA GONZALEZ, doing business as Hong Kong Buffet, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (USDC No. 1:05-cv-223) - Before KING, HIGGINBOTHAM, and GARZA, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 12, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-50713 Summary Calendar ELEAZAR GONZALEZ, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus ERNESTO GONZALEZ, SUK CHA GONZALEZ, doing business as Hong Kong Buffet, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (USDC No. 1:05-cv-223) - Before KING, HIGGINBOTHAM, and GARZA, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 12, 2007
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 06-50713
Summary Calendar
ELEAZAR GONZALEZ,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
ERNESTO GONZALEZ,
SUK CHA GONZALEZ,
doing business as Hong Kong Buffet,
Defendants-Appellees.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Texas
(USDC No. 1:05-cv-223)
--------------------
Before KING, HIGGINBOTHAM, and GARZA, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Appellant won below on his FLSA claim and appeals only the
district court’s calculation of his damage award. The over-time
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act require an employer to
pay covered workers “at a rate of not less than one and one-half
times the regular rate at which he is employed.” 29 U.S.C. §
207(a)(1). Appellant argues that his “regular rate” should have
been calculated by dividing his weekly salary by the number of
hours he worked per week — a rate which exceeded minimum wage. He
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
No. 04-30852
-2-
explains that his overtime wages should have been calculated based
on this rate and the number of overtime hours work.
The district court, however, assumed that the plaintiff was
hired for the minimum wage, and that any extra money provided by
his fixed salary was intended to partially compensate for overtime.
The district court calculated the overtime rate based on the
minimum wage, and deducted from plaintiff’s overtime wages the
partial compensation. As a result of the district court’s
approach, plaintiff argues that he is owed an additional $6,804.85
in wages and $6,804.85 in liquidated damages.
There was a trial below and testimony about the parties’
intent. Yet the plaintiff argues that “it is indisputable that the
district court was itself deeming the Plaintiff’s hourly wage to be
the minimum wage of $5.15 as a matter of law, rather than finding
that this wage somehow represented the intent of the parties.”
(emphasis added).
We disagree. The district court found that “the twice monthly
payments were intended to cover all hours worked, including regular
hours and overtime.” (emphasis added). It further found that “the
raises were intended to compensate plaintiffs for overtime hours
worked.” (emphasis added). Plaintiff’s efforts to transform this
into a legal question are inconsistent with the record. We review
a district court’s factual findings for clear error, which
plaintiff does not even attempt to show. The judgment of the
district court is
No. 04-30852
-3-
AFFIRMED.