A former assistant fire chief who retired from the East St. Louis fire department last year claims he is owed $191,457.52 in unpaid wages.
William Clossen filed suit against the city, Mayor Alvin Parks and city manager Deletra Hudson on Feb. 18 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.
Clossen claims that he had been one of three assistant chiefs who worked shifts of 24 hours on and then 72 hours off. But after one of the other assistants left employment on Jan. 1, 2009, and was not replaced, he and the other assistant had to work 32 hours on and then 64 hours off.
"The City refused and still refuses to pay the Assistant Chiefs for the additional 8 hours of work per shift nor for the loss of 8 hours of non-working time between shifts to Plaintiff's loss in the amount of $191,457.52," the complaint states.
Clossen also claims he is owed half of an arbitration award from 2011 in which the city agreed to pay him an increase in salary equal to an amount awarded to firefighers. He says that amounts to $3,405.04.
He bases his claims on alleged violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires timely payment of final compensation upon separation. Clossen retired Sept. 30, 2014, the suit says.
Clossen is represented by George Ripplinger of Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 15-L-82.
Retired ESL assistant fire chief seeks $191K in unpaid wages
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