A longtime employee of South Bronx nonprofit Banana Kelly has filed a putative class-action lawsuit in federal court, accusing the group of stiffing building staff on overtime, minimum wage and meal breaks while paying a flat weekly salary. The complaint, lodged late Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks unpaid wages and damages for current and former workers. Plaintiff Miguel Vega alleges he put in long back-to-back shifts for years while collecting roughly $550 a week, no matter how many hours he worked.
According to amNewYork, Vega says he worked for Banana Kelly from 2006 through 2025 and typically clocked nine- or ten-hour days, seven days a week. The suit says supervisors required him to sign time cards reflecting only 35 hours, despite those longer schedules. The complaint contends Banana Kelly failed to pay minimum wage and overtime required under New York law and that Vega is pursuing the case as a class action to recover unpaid wages and potentially thousands of dollars in damages. It also notes that he received about $550 each week regardless of hours worked and that he is represented by Tucker Clifford of Sacco & Fillas, according to the complaint.
Another federal wage case is pending
This is not the first federal wage claim to hit the organization. Court records show that former employee Ulises Guzman filed a separate lawsuit in December 2025 that is still active on the Southern District docket. That case, which raises similar issues around hours and breaks, is listed on Justia Dockets.
What Banana Kelly does and why it matters
Banana Kelly traces its roots to a resident-led effort in the late 1970s that sought to preserve housing in a South Bronx neighborhood battered by abandonment and fire. Over the years, the group has expanded into housing and social-service programs across the South Bronx. The organization presents itself as a longtime steward of affordable units and community programs, according to Banana Kelly…