The Raleigh City Workers Union announced yesterday that it’s prepared to move forward with a lawsuit against the city of Raleigh, and the University’s Student-Worker Alliance stands in “solidarity with all the workers.”

The lawsuit cites the city has failed to pay adequate overtime wages and argues that the city is in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which carries a two-year statue of limitations.

“When I was growing up, I was always told a hard day’s work for a day’s pay,” Steve Edelstein, the attorney representing the workers, said. “The City of Raleigh has refused to figure out the hours and back pay that its sanitation workers are due, and every day the workers wait, they are losing money.”

Edelstein said the workers are giving the city two immediate options — either repeal the statute of limitations or face the lawsuit. The workers are giving the city two weeks to respond before they strike.

According to Dante Strobino, a graduate student in electrical engineering, the issue has an impact on NCSU students.

“City workers maintain the streets and maintain the water lines, which impact N.C. State directly,” Strobino said. “Ultimately, this is about sanitation. This is a health and safety condition. See if students can handle trash piling up outside their apartments and houses for weeks.” Moreover, Strobino said the Raleigh City Workers Union ought to have an impact on NCSU workers.

“That same law is important because workers at N.C. State are also organizing their struggle,” Strobino said. “This is important because it shows the workers at State that there is hope to build a union that can fight and that can win, and it all goes back to the students. If there’s better wages for workers, there will be better services for the students.” According to Angaza Laughinghouse, UE Local 150 union president, the city sent out checks to workers Friday. However, the checks didn’t cover the wages the workers claim they’ve lost.

“We were disrespected this Friday,” he said. “Thirty-five to 40 workers, out of solidarity, gave their checks back, and on the checks was a sticker saying the workers [if they cashed the checks] couldn’t collect from a lawsuit.”