W.D. Wash. Denies Remand in Saia Wage-and-Hour Class Action, Finding CAFA Amount in Controversy Exceeds $5 Million

LitNews.ai Staff · April 21, 2026 · W.D. Wash.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington has denied a motion to remand a putative class action against trucking company Saia, Inc., holding that the defendant satisfied the Class Action Fairness Act’s $5 million jurisdictional threshold.

Plaintiff Christopher Mills filed the suit in Pierce County Superior Court in December 2025, alleging that Saia engaged in a common course of wage-and-hour violations against hourly and non-exempt employees in Washington state. The complaint asserts that Saia failed to provide rest and meal breaks, withheld pay for overtime and missed breaks, required mandatory work expenses, and failed to maintain accurate payroll records.

Mills specifically alleged that he took his meal break late three to four times a week and was required to work without clocking in several times a month. He claimed Saia’s conduct was willful, seeking twice the amount of withheld wages under chapter 49.52 RCW.

Saia removed the case to federal court in January 2026, asserting the amount in controversy exceeded $5 million. The defendant relied on a declaration from its regional human resources manager, Alex Strocsher, who estimated that class members earned between $20.67 and $38.40 per hour and had an average tenure of one year or more.

Mills moved to remand, arguing Saia overestimated the number of working days, assumed an inflated 60% violation rate, and proposed speculative attorneys’ fees. Mills suggested a 50% violation rate and a 360-day working period but provided no rationale for why these figures were more accurate than Saia’s calculations.

The court held that Saia’s 60% violation rate was reasonable given the complaint’s allegations of a uniform course of conduct. The court noted that while Mills offered a different assumption, an assumption is not unreasonable simply because another equally valid assumption may exist.

Even after adjusting the average hourly wage to $29.50 based on the declaration’s range, the court calculated the base damages at $2,193,624.74. Doubling this amount for the claimed double damages resulted in $4,387,249.48.

The court added 25% in attorneys’ fees, finding the figure reasonable in similar wage-and-hour CAFA cases. This brought the total amount in controversy to $5,484,61.85.

The court concluded that Saia had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the amount in controversy exceeded the $5 million threshold. Mills’ motion to remand was denied.

Counsel

Plaintiff is represented by Douglas Han, Shunt Tatavos-Gharajeh, Justice Law Corporation, of Pasadena, CA, and Veronica Chavez, Justice Law Corporation, of Seattle, WA.

Defendant is represented by Farron Danelle Curry, Elisabeth Read, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, of Seattle, WA.

Case

The case is CHRISTOPHER MILLS, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiff, v. SAIA, INC., a Delaware corporation, Defendant., in the W.D. Wash..

Court

W.D. Wash.

Case Name

CHRISTOPHER MILLS, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiff, v. SAIA, INC., a Delaware corporation, Defendant.

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