A class-action lawsuit over alleged violations of California minimum wage laws was filed against the Long Beach Community College District Monday by two part-time LBCC professors who claimed that the district requires part-time teachers to work for free outside of class hours.

The suit, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, could affect hundreds of part-time faculty members. California minimum wage is currently $15 per hour.

On average, part-time faculty are paid a few dollars less per hour than full-time faculty members, according to salary schedules approved by the Board of Trustees for each group. The current contract with part-time faculty expires at the end of June.

The plaintiffs in the suit, Karen Roberts and Seija Rohkea, are both art history professors at the college. They said during a Monday morning press conference that the college has knowingly allowed unfair and illegal labor practices to persist by not compensating part-time professors for things like preparing for class, meeting with students to discuss assignments and even grading coursework.

“Asking us to work for free is wrong, unethical and shows a lack of regard for employees who are expected to help carry out the mission of the college,” Roberts said.

Roberts, the former president of the part-time faculty union, said that these issues have been raised with the Board of Trustees during past labor negotiations but they’ve “fallen on deaf ears” and led to the current working...

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