After an Oakland Raiders cheerleader brought suit against the team for violating minimum wage laws at both the federal and state level, the U.S. Department of Labor has been prompted to investigate the matter. The plaintiffs? lawyer has said that the Department of Labor?s actions are encouraging and appropriate, but that the investigation should not be limited to the Raiders. The Department of Labor is unable to comment on an ongoing case, but last year the Department conducted similar investigations into the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins over their use of unpaid interns. The Giants settled, paying $544,000 to 74 employees for claims over a three year period. Sports teams are usually image-conscious and therefore have a strong incentive to settle according to Ken Jacobs at UC Berkeley?s Center for Labor Research and Education.
See "Raiderette wages lawsuit prompts Labor Dept. investigation", Bob Egelko, San Francisco Gate, January 30, 2014