Firefighters Sue South Dakota City Seeking Overtime For Trades

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) -- Nine Aberdeen firefighters have filed a lawsuit against the city seeking overtime pay.

The firefighters say they are entitled to extra pay for overtime hours worked each week when they swap a full 24-hour shift or a partial shift with each other.

Mark Anderson, the Aberdeen city attorney, said the Fair Labor Standards Act has a special exception that allows firefighters to swap shifts without that time counting toward overtime.

The nine firefighters asked for a jury trial in federal court. No court date has been set.