San Diego

San Diego County owes millions of dollars to more than 800 employees who were never paid for overtime they worked, a labor union charged Friday in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

According to the suit, which was filed by the Service Employees International Union, Local 102, the county has a longtime practice of denying overtime pay to its workers. The suit was filed on behalf of employees who work as probation officers, planners, road crew supervisors and gardener foremen.

Local 102 President Eliseo Medina charged the county with violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Federal law requires overtime pay in most instances for time worked beyond 40 hours a week.

Medina said the affected employees were compensated for overtime work with either regular hourly wages or were forced to take compensatory time.

County spokesman Robert Lerner declined to comment on the suit.

Union officials said they will ask a federal judge to order the county to pay overtime wages in addition to back pay. Although Don Reeves, head of the Probation Officers Assn., said the company’s practice of not paying overtime was “a longstanding one,” the lawsuit will attempt to collect back pay only for three years.

“We have attempted to resolve this issue at the bargaining table, but the county has consistently and deliberately refused to comply with federal law,” Medina said. “Since they will not listen to us in negotiations, they will have to listen in the courtroom.”