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Nearly 68,000 hourly production workers just watched a years-long overtime dispute finally reach the finish line. A Michigan federal court has granted final approval to a settlement worth almost $3.8 million, resolving claims brought by current and former hourly employees at Fiat Chrysler's U.S. manufacturing facilities — with $1.26 million of that total earmarked for attorney fees alone.

The Judge's Ruling

U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker signed the final approval order Friday, concluding that the settlement was fair, reasonable and adequate — the standard legal threshold courts apply before signing off on class action resolutions of this scale.

Breaking Down the Settlement Fund

The gross settlement fund totals $3,795,000, and the distribution breakdown reveals exactly where that money is headed. Attorney fees account for roughly $1.26 million, with up to $25,000 set aside for litigation expenses and up to $196,000 allocated toward settlement administration costs. The 10 named class representatives will collectively receive $32,500 in service awards, recognizing their role in leading the case. That leaves approximately $2.28 million to be divided among the roughly 67,959 class members who make up the broader group covered by the settlement.

Who's Covered by the Settlement

The settlement applies specifically to workers employed at FCA US LLC's U.S. facilities between Feb. 10, 2020, and May 12, 2025 — a window spanning more than five years of employment across the company's American manufacturing operations.

Concerns Raised Before Final Approval

The path to final approval wasn't entirely smooth. A Michigan federal judge heard arguments on the matter back in April 2026, during which lead plaintiff Delores Featherstone raised concerns about how little information had been communicated to affected workers regarding the lawsuit — including details about the attorney fees ultimately being deducted from the settlement fund.

Counsel for both the workers and FCA US did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday, leaving the settlement's final approval as the last official word on the matter for now.

The Legal Teams Involved

The workers were represented by Kevin Stoops and Jesse Young of Sommers Schwartz PC, along with Jonathan Melmed and Laura Supanich of Melmed Law Group PC. FCA US was represented by Jesse Dill, Joshua Lushnat and Bernard Bobber of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC.