California Class Action Details Oil Giant's Illegal Labor Practices

$100 Million Sought in Back Pay and Damages Under Federal and State Laws

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO), one of the nation's largest gas station operators, has been cheating thousands of its hourly employees out of millions of dollars in overtime wages for years charges a class action lawsuit filed today by Sanford Wittels & Heisler, LLP in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco). The suit describes how Valero - the 10th largest company on the Fortune 500 list -- underpays employees who work in its nearly 6,000 "Corner Stores," which sell gas and snacks to customers across the U.S. under the brand names Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, Beacon, and Stop N Go.

With revenues of $119 billion in 2008 and approximately 22,000 employees, Valero -- the largest oil refiner in North America -- has cornered the convenience store market with "sweat of the brow" labor practices. The oil behemoth requires its retail employees to work punishingly long overtime hours "off-the-clock" without pay to keep thousands of Valero corner stores open "round-the-clock" while the company earns massive profits.

"To keep its gas pumps flowing, Valero virtually pumps the lifeblood out of its workers who are expected to be on call 24-7, but are only paid for a fraction of the time they spend working," said Steven L. Wittels of Sanford Wittels & Heisler, LLP, one of the country's leading class action firms with offices in San Francisco, New York and Washington, DC. "This class action aims to turn off this oil Goliath's unfair pay practices."

While the massive refining company depicts itself as "refining" the way it does business and providing a worker-friendly environment, the reality is shockingly different. "When it comes to its employees," adds Mr.