Judge Rejects Puny Silicon Valley Wage-Fixing Settlement

[We need more judges willing to stand up for the average guy]
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Sam Biddle
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For years, tech giants like Apple, Google, and Adobe made secret agreements to avoid hiring rival talent, keeping salaries artificially suppressed. These companies almost got away with paying a tiny settlement-but that monetary mea culpa just got shot down.
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U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh says the paltry payout just isn't enough, given that damages could have run into the billions:
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Class members would receive an average of approximately $3,7506 from the instant settlement if the Court were to grant all requested deductions and there were no further opt-outs...The Court finds the total settlement amount falls below the range of reasonableness. The Court is concerned that Class members recover less on a proportional basis from the instant settlement with Remaining Defendants than from the settlement with the Settled Defendants a year ago, despite the fact that the case has progressed consistently in the Class's favor since then.
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In other words, the evidence against Apple and company has been so vast, $300 million or so just won't cut it. The trove of emails, conversations, and testimonies unearthed during the suit make it clear that "other Defendants' CEOs maintained the anti-solicitation agreements out of fear of and deference to Mr. [Steve] Jobs."
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Judge Koh says damages should not be any less than $380 million-and that still seems pretty light for an intricate conspiracy against employees of some of America's richest firms.


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