Former employee sues Sherman Phoenix for not paying her.

Byline: Associated Press

A former Sherman Phoenix employee is suing the Milwaukee market and its developers for not paying her for more than a year.

The Sherman Phoenix, a development in the city's Sherman Park neighborhood, houses small businesses owned by people of color. A complaint filed in federal court on Jan. 8 says the market space and its developers violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and Wisconsin wage laws by not paying Joanna Brooks regularly.

According to the document, Joanne Sabir, a developer of the market, offered Brooks a job handling administrative duties related to lessees' move into Sherman Phoenix. Brooks asked for an annual salary of $50,000. She said Sabir didn't counter, and the two continued to discuss the position.

Brooks started working as the Sherman Phoenix's entrepreneurship program manager in January 2018. Brooks said she worked 10 to 20 hours a week, meeting with prospective tenants, consultants and possible partners; handling administrative duties; helping carry out programs; and managing the Sherman Phoenix's social media accounts. Brooks said Sabir and Juli Kaufmann, another Sherman Phoenix...