Minor leaguers suing MLB granted conditional class status

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A federal judge in California has granted conditional class certification to minor league baseball players who are suing Major League Baseball teams for failing to pay them minimum wage.

The suit was filed in February 2014 claiming that players are required to work long hours during the season and perform other duties required by their MLB bosses in the offseason without adequate compensation.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero on Tuesday granted a motion asking the court to certify a proposed Minor League Collective under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Members include all minor league baseball players who worked for the MLB or any MLB franchise since Feb. 7, 2011, but had not spent time in the major leagues at the time.