911 dispatchers get $113K settlement in St. Clair County overtime pay lawsuit
St. Clair County has agreed to pay about $113,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed two years ago by 911 dispatchers over the county overtime policy.
The dispatchers alleged that the county owed them time-and-a-half pay for any hours worked more than 40 in a single week, even when they reported a total of 80 hours for the pay period.
Their 12-hour shifts meant they could work 46 hours in one week and 34 in the next week, the dispatchers stated. They accused St. Clair County of violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
The county denied the employees’ allegations and any wrongdoing or liability in its response to the lawsuit. It maintained that the employees were not entitled to overtime premium pay.
Three dispatchers for the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency initially filed the complaint in July 2023 — Bradley Miller, Kayla Kilpatrick and Blake Bumann.
According to the lawsuit, Bumann questioned his supervisor, Bryan Whitaker, about unpaid overtime in 2019. But the complaint alleges that Whitaker dismissed his concerns, telling him, “That’s the way we do it.”
In 2024, the case became a collective action, and another 26 dispatchers joined the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
The parties agreed to settle following a Nov. 25 mediation session, about two weeks before the case was scheduled to go to trial, according to court records. The St. Clair County Board approved the settlement agreement at its meeting Monday night.
Of the $113,412.18 total settlement amount, $80,000 is for attorneys’ fees, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Jim Gomric told the board on Monday.
Attorneys representing the dispatchers did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday regarding the settlement and resolution of the case.
Four County Board members were absent from Monday’s meeting: Harry Hollingsworth of District 4, Jerry Dinges of District 15, Scott Tieman of District 17 and Richie Meile of District 25.
