O.C. BUSINESS PLUS : ORANGE COUNTY BRIEFLY : Taco Bell Wage Dispute Widens

A lawsuit alleging that Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp. has avoided paying overtime to 2,300 managers and assistant managers was certified as a class-action case this week.

The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara Superior Court, seeks back wages ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for each manager. The case is not expected to go to trial until late next year at the soonest, said Diane Ritchie, a San Jose-based labor attorney who is part of the legal team representing the plaintiffs.

She contends managers and assistant managers at Taco Bell are entitled to overtime under state law because they spend less than half their time time performing management duties. “They spend most of their time doing the same duties as the crew: making burritos, waiting on customers and mopping the floor,” she said.

Taco Bell said in a statement that the general managers were not entitled to overtime pay.