Raiderette wages lawsuit prompts Labor Dept. investigation

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Department of Labor says it is investigating the Oakland Raiders' treatment of the Raiderettes, after one of its cheerleaders accused the team in a lawsuit of failing to pay minimum wages and illegally saddling the squad with fines and travel expenses.

Jose Carnevali, spokesman for the Labor Department's regional office in San Francisco, confirmed the investigation Wednesday and said it concerned "the team's cheerleader squad," and not merely the individual who filed the suit last week.

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The cheerleader, Lacy T., filed her suit in Alameda County Superior Court as a proposed class action on behalf of the 40 Raiderettes and other members of the squad over the past four years. Her lawyer, Sharon Vinick, said Thursday that she was encouraged by the federal government's prompt action.

"I would hope that the Department of Labor would be looking at teams across the NFL," Vinick said. Similar allegations of low wages and unpaid expenses have been made against several other National Football League teams, but Lacy T. is the first to file suit.



Read more: http://sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiderette-wages-lawsuit-prompts-Labor-Dept-5190112.php