MLB Lawsuit Attracts 500 Minor League Signatories

Since winning class action certification in October, the lawsuit against Major League Baseball (MLB) over wage-and-hour issues for its minor leaguers has seen some 500 current and former players add their names, including a couple already in the big leagues. “We’re very happy with it,” said Garrett Broshuis, the lawyer handling the case, a former minor-league baseball player himself. “The feedback has been great so far. We’ve been getting a lot of support.” The lawsuit contends that minor league working conditions violate both federal minimum wage and overtime standards, while MLB hews to a "seasonal entertainment" exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). All minor league baseball players, even those with huge signing bonuses, are forced to sign a uniform seven-year contract. Under terms of the contract, they are paid between $800 and $2,000 a month -- but only during the minor league baseball season, basically from April to September. In Spring Training, they are given only meal money and not wages.  A typical in-season work week can run from 60 to 70 hours. The lawsuit won't go to trial, however, until February 2017.