International Au Pairs Win $65.5M Settlement In Lawsuit

DENVER (AP) — Young people from around the world who have provided low cost child care for American families will share in a proposed $65.5 million class action settlement with the companies that bring the workers to the United States.

The deal was filed in federal court in Denver on Wednesday, a month before the lawsuit brought by a dozen former au pairs from Colombia, Australia, Germany, South Africa and Mexico was set to go to trial.

They claimed the companies colluded to keep their wages low, ignoring state minimum wage and overtime laws.

The companies denied any wrongdoing under the settlement, which still must be approved by a judge.

Lawyers will need to track down nearly 100,000 au pairs, mostly women, who worked in the United States over the last decade and are entitled to the money.

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