A former employee accuses Clinica de Salud of labor violations in a class-action lawsuit.

The parting in May between former Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas employee Jennifer Urias and the nonprofit clinic must have been contentious. By June 2, she had hired an attorney, Douglas Han of the Justice Law Corporation, who sent a seven-page letter on that date to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency alleging Clinica denied Urias and others overtime pay, failed to provide meal breaks and failed to pay minimum wage, among other alleged violations of state labor law.

The letter was a precursor to Urias filing a class-action lawsuit on Aug. 10 in Monterey Superior Court on behalf of all employees past and present, asking the court to find that the organization violated labor laws. The lawsuit asks for relief in the form of Clinica compensating employees with penalties as prescribed for each violation of California law, damages and attorneys fees. Urias – who was an hourly employee not exempt from overtime pay – is asking for a jury trial.

Clinica attorney Christopher E. Panetta of the firm Fenton & Keller provided a statement from CEO Dr. Max Cuevas that reads in part: “[Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas] values all its employees and acts in full compliance with state and federal employment laws. We are currently reviewing the lawsuit that was filed and, at this time, cannot comment on this ongoing litigation.”

Currently Clinica has 13 clinics in Monterey County, serving people who are low-income and/or uninsured.

Urias could not be reached for comment and her attorney declined to answer questions for this story. The first hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for Dec. 12.