An attorney announced today that about 100,000 people who worked for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the West Penn Allegheny Health System and the former Mercy Hospital will soon receive notices about a potential class action suit.

The notices will be sent to people who work or have worked at those entities during the past three years, said attorney J. Nelson Thomas of Rochester, N.Y.

The suit involves claims that employees were forced to work during their lunch hours. The potential class would cover all hourly employees, including nurses, technicians, security guards and janitors.

UPMC said today the claim is false and without merit.

"UPMC's policies are very clear -- if employees work through their meal break, they are required to cancel the lunch deduction in our timekeeping system for which they are then paid. UPMC regularly and routinely pays our employees working through a meal break, and employees following our guidelines were fully and completely compensated," the system said in a statement.

"This New York-based law firm has filed a number of similar lawsuits against other hospital systems, settling only one," UPMC's statement continued.

"The settlement of the one lawsuit after legal fees netted each employee, on average, $250. Other health care systems in our region are being similarly sued."