Eden Prairie transport company again accused of not paying minimum wage, overtime
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - An Edina man said he was fired from his job as a driver at Travelon Transportation after he said he threatened to report the owner to authorities over unpaid wages and other issues.
Fired medical transport driver claims company owes him $2,500 in unpaid wages
The backstory:
Preston Buckhanan started working for Travelon Transportation in November but was fired nearly two months later after he said he threatened to report his boss to authorities. He claims he was misclassified as an independent contractor, which allowed the company to avoid paying him minimum wage, overtime and other benefits.
Buckhanan’s complaints echo similar ones made by the Labor Department in a lawsuit that ended with a jury verdict against the company. In 2023, a jury decided that the company misclassified drivers and avoided paying them minimum wage and overtime. A federal judge ordered the company to fork over more than $254,000 in backpay and damages to 21 employees.
Travelon Transportation shuttles elderly and disabled patients to medical and other appointments. The company has operated in the Twin Cities metro since 1998, according to the Labor Department.
What they're saying:
Buckhanan, who said he has hired an attorney for guidance and plans to file a formal complaint against Cernatinskij, estimated that the company owes him at least $2,500 in unpaid wages.
"I have no food in my house. I’ve been eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the past couple weeks," he said, fighting back tears. "It’s crazy how the government still allows him to – business as usual."
Company owner responds to fired driver’s claims
What they're saying:
In a phone interview Thursday afternoon, Cernatinskij, who said he was traveling in Japan, denied any wrongdoing, and said he did not terminate Buckhanan. He insisted that Buckhanan quit and failed to provide the required 10 weeks’ notice, something he said cost his company about $10,000.
Cernatinskij also insisted that his drivers are independent contractors. He said he is appealing the 2023 court ruling against him.