Three class-action lawsuits against junior hockey leagues "are making their way through Canadian courts," asserting that by "issuing stipends to players of as little as $35 a week and not providing for overtime, vacation or holiday pay, the leagues violate minimum-wage laws in every Canadian province and the American states in which they operate," according to Jeff Klein of the N.Y. TIMES. One suit filed in Ontario in October seeks about $160M "in wages, benefits and payroll contributions for thousands of current and former players in the three major junior leagues" under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella -- the OHL, WHL and QMJHL. The lawsuits "resemble those seeking better wages in the United States for minor league baseball players and NFL cheerleaders." Former OHLer and plaintiff Sam Berg said, "I think this is really part of a movement that’s going to stop exploitation of players around any game" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/21).
PLAYING FOR PEANUTS? In DC, Marissa Payne wrote it "looks like MLB isn't going to concede easily" to a class-action lawsuit filed in July by minor-league players seeking a minimum wage, "especially when it has the help" of MiLB VP Stan Brand. Brand earlier this month at the winter meetings said that MiLB "had plans to lobby Congress with the aim of getting an exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act, arguing that minor leaguers are seasonal employees and thus not eligible for federal wage protection." Payne noted minor league players "make base salaries of $5,500 per year" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/20).
