US nuclear power plants defeat employees' wage suppression lawsuit

Adds comment from Duke Energy in paragraph 5

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Major nuclear power companies on Wednesday persuaded a U.S. judge in Maryland to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit that alleged they had conspired for years to suppress worker pay.

Here are the details:

• U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland said the allegations in the lawsuit were insufficient and were filed past a four-year window to bring claims under U.S. antitrust law.

• Two power generation workers filed the case last year, alleging 26 nuclear ⁠plant operators and two consulting firms illegally shared ​wage information with each other in a conspiracy to keep ​compensation artificially low. Abelson said the plaintiffs' allegations show only "the exchange and individualized use of information rather than conduct that indicates an agreement to fix or suppress compensation."

• The lawsuit sought to represent thousands of nuclear power plant workers since 2003. The defendants in the case include some of the largest plant operators in the United States, including Constellation Energy (CEG.O) and Duke Energy (DUK.N). In a statement, Duke Energy welcomed the court's ruling and said that the company has a "longstanding commitment to competitive compensation practices."

• The power operators ​denied wrongdoing, saying the claims are “rendered ​all the ⁠more implausible by the fact that it supposedly occurred in one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world.”

• Abelson dismissed most of the claims without prejudice, which gives the plaintiffs a chance to file an amended lawsuit. Lead attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Florida Power and Light owner NextEra Energy in May agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle the plaintiffs' claims. NextEra denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

Read more:

NextEra Energy settles nuclear plant wage lawsuit for $9.5 million

US nuclear plant operators sued in class action over worker pay

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella)