Doe

ORDER RE: MOTION TO DISMISS

This case is before the court on Defendants’ motion to dismiss on a variety of bases and to sever the case. Plaintiffs oppose the motions and have made countermotions for limited severance and for interim leave to proceed using pseudonyms.

I. History

This case is one of several class action suits that have been brought by seasonal agricultural workers against table grape growers based in Kern County. Defendant growers are D.M. Camp & Sons; Marko Zaninovich, Inc.; Sunview Vineyards of California, Inc.; Giumarra Vineyards Corp.; El Rancho Farms; Stevco, Inc.; FAL Inc. dba Lucich Farms; Castlerock Farming and Transport, Inc. (collectively “Defendants”). Plaintiffs are former and current employees of Defendants who have brought suit using pseudonyms.

This suit was initiated on November 9, 2005. The operative Corrected Second Amended Class Action Complaint. (“Complaint”) was filed on March 13, 2006. Doc. 65. The Complaint contains several specific allegations against each Defendant; broadly, it alleges Defendants failed to properly pay wages by forcing employees to work off the clock, forcing employees to purchase tools out of pocket, failing to pay…