Major League Baseball Overtime Lawsuit

On February 7, 2014, three former minor league baseball players filed a class action lawsuit against Major League Baseball (“MLB”), MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, and the Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants baseball clubs alleging violations of state and federal labor laws. By doing so, the players are seeking to certify a class on behalf of thousands of current and former minor-leaguers, dating back at least three years.

The complaint alleges that the “MLB and the Defendants have exploited minor leaguers by paying salaries below minimum wage, by not paying overtime wages and by often paying no wages at all.” More specifically the players argue that despite regularly working in excess of forty hours per week, they never received any overtime pay. Furthermore, the complaint notes how players were not paid minimum wage at any point in time given that they received compensation between $1,100 and $2,150 per month for the five month period in which they played but never received anything for the high number of hours they were required to work during the offseason (this includes spring training and other seasonal events). If these numbers are found to be true, many minor league players earn less than the federal poverty level, which is $11,490 for a single person and $23,550 for a family of four.

Generally speaking, the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) requires that employees receive at least the minimum wage as well as overtime pay of one-and-a-half times the regular pay rate when working in excess of forty hours per week. Exemptions from FLSA wage and overtime benefits do exist (such as the “professional employees” exemption), but it is uncertain whether the players will qualify in this given situation.

The MLB and co-defendants have yet to respond to said allegations.

Sports and entertainment companies frequently violate laws regarding their employees’ wages. Thus anyone who has worked for any of these sports and entertainment companies over the past six years may have a wage claim. Please contact the New York City employment lawyers at Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, (212) 300-0375, to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law.