Nike class-action wage case moves from federal to Suffolk court amid settlement push

A Suffolk County man has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Nike, alleging the retail giant violated New York labor law by paying thousands of hourly store employees every two weeks instead of weekly.

The lawsuit, filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court, claims former Riverhead store employee Nagid Jones, 26, of Bellport and other “manual workers” at Nike retail locations across New York were entitled to weekly pay under state labor law but were instead paid every other week for years.

The complaint alleges the proposed class could exceed 6,000 current and former workers employed at Nike stores statewide between June 2016 and March 2023, including locations in Riverhead and Deer Park.

Similar lawsuits have been filed against a number of retailers and employers in New York in recent years over the state’s “manual worker” law, which generally requires qualifying employees to be paid within seven days of the end of a work week.

The filing in Suffolk follows earlier litigation over the same allegations in federal court. In Jones v. NIKE Retail Services, Inc., filed in the Eastern District of New York, the parties litigated similar claims before reaching a settlement in principle after mediation in July 2025.

Federal court filings show the sides had largely finalized terms, but continued working through remaining procedural issues tied to recent changes in wage-damage law and questions over federal jurisdiction under the Class Action Fairness Act.

Those jurisdictional questions ultimately complicated final approval of any settlement, the terms of which have not been made public. In joint status reports to U.S. District Judge Nina Morrison, attorneys noted the case may need to be resolved in state court.

In November, the federal action was dismissed without prejudice, allowing the claims to be refiled while settlement discussions continued.

In the complaint, Jones, a former sales associate in Nike’s in Tanger Outlets Riverhead from March 2018 until August 2018, alleges Nike employees spent more than 25% of their time performing such physical tasks as stocking shelves, unloading merchandise, moving boxes and cleaning stores. This type of work, the suit claims, qualifies the employees as “manual workers” under state law.

He alleges in the lawsuit that he and other employees were paid on an hourly basis but received wages every 14 days instead of weekly.

The lawsuit lists 16 retail locations operated by Nike in New York during the period in question. Court documents further allege that Nike later applied to the New York State Department of Labor for authorization to pay certain manual workers less frequently than weekly, receiving approval that became effective March 22, 2023.

The suit seeks damages tied to the delayed wage payments, including interest, attorneys’ fees and class-action certification. The plaintiff’s lawyers are also seeking designation of Jones as class representative.

Greater Long Island contacted Nike for comment, specifically asking whether the company disputes the allegations in the lawsuit and whether it would address its pay practices for New York retail employees during the period referenced in the complaint, but did not receive a response.

_{Top: Photo by Paul Steuber}