Press Box Hostesses Claim NFL’s Colts Pay|Less Than Minimum Wage, Under the Table

INDIANAPOLIS (CN) - A longtime "hostess" in the Indianapolis Colts' press box claims in a federal class action that the team paid her and her coworkers less than minimum wage, under the table, and that the football team continues the illegal practices for "a dozen or more hostesses" on the Colts' "statistics crew."

Colleen Fenstermaker says she worked part time for the Colts on its statistics crew from 1998 until she was wrongfully fired in September this year.

Fenstermaker says she was "one of a dozen or more hostesses who worked on the Colts' statistics crew. Fenstermaker and the other hostesses would pass out written materials (printouts of statistics, etc. ...) to coaches, announcers and other employees and/or guests in the press box area of the Colts' stadiu, Fenstermaker and other hostesses would get drinks and food for those in the press box and otherwise attend to their needs and help them before, during and after the Colts' football game." (Parentheses and ellipsis in complaint.)

She says hostesses worked 8 or more hours on game days: arriving 2 or more hours before the game and "working significant hours post-game."

"For this eight or more hours work per game, the Colts were paying Fenstermaker and each hostess forty dollars ($40.00) in cash. When Fenstermaker began in 1998, the Colts were only paying twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per game.

"Throughout her employment with the Colts, Fenstermaker's time worked was not recorded by the Colts, nor was she asked to keep track of her time worked. The same was true for similarly situated hostesses.

"The Colts have failed and refused to pay Fenstermaker and other similarly situated hostesses at a rate of pay equal to the federal minimum wage."

Fenstermaker seeks back pay, with interest, costs and "any and all other relief just and proper."

She is represented by Robert Kondras with Hunt Hassler & Lorenz, of Terre Haute.

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