Williams v. Mohawk Industries, Inc.
568 F.3d 1350 (11th Cir. 2009)
The court reversed the district court’s ruling that a group of employees attempting to bring a class action suit against their employer lacked commonality as to issues of law and fact. The employees alleged that the employer was engaged in racketeering by hiring illegal aliens, which depressed the other employee’s wages. Although the employer argued that hiring practices and wage levels varied among the proposed class members, the court sided with the employees in finding that the overarching charges (whether the employer conducted an enterprise under the RICO statute, whether the employer engaged in racketeering, and whether the employer engaged in a conspiracy) were common to each plaintiff.