Wisconsin Court Affirmed Alro Steel Class Action

Appeals judges upheld the class certification for a lawsuit alleging unpaid wages at three Wisconsin steel facilities.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Unions

Wisconsin Court Affirmed Alro Steel Class Action

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The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has affirmed class action certification for a lawsuit brought against Alro Steel Corporation. Plaintiff Stephen Cooper alleged that the company failed to pay employees for work time through its payroll rounding practices.

Why it matters

The ruling permits current and former hourly employees to collectively pursue claims that they were underpaid for tasks performed before and after their scheduled shifts. The court found that commonality in the company's timekeeping system justifies class-wide litigation.

The lawsuit challenges a payroll system that rounded clock-in times within 15 minutes before shifts and clock-out times within 9 minutes after shifts. This certification covers hourly non-exempt staff at three Wisconsin locations employed since July 11, 2021.

The players

Alro Steel Corporation

This metal service center provider operates facilities across the United States including three sites in Wisconsin.

Stephen Cooper

He is the named plaintiff who initiated the class action lawsuit against the company regarding its payroll practices.

Wisconsin Court of Appeals

This is the intermediate appellate court that reviewed the circuit court's decision regarding the class certification.

The details

Employees involved in the suit claim they were not compensated for essential pre- and post-shift tasks, including machinery inspection and the donning of protective gear. The court determined these uniform payroll policies present legal questions suitable for resolution as a class action.

The class action period began on July 11, 2021.
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals issued its decision on October 12, 2026.

Political Context

The defense in such cases typically argues that rounding practices are neutral and satisfy federal labor requirements for de minimis time. Opponents of class certification often contend that individual variations in worker tasks prevent these lawsuits from meeting the criteria for collective action.

Workers who were employed in non-exempt production roles at the company's Wisconsin facilities since mid-2021 may be eligible for inclusion in the class. This legal process could result in recovered back pay for those affected by the specific time-rounding policies.

The takeaway

This ruling establishes that shared workplace policies regarding timekeeping can be sufficient grounds for employees to band together in court. Workers should keep personal records of their start and end times to support potential wage claims in similar disputes.