Six firefighters have filed a lawsuit against the city of Charleston, S.C., claiming the city failed to compensate them with overtime pay.

The collective action lawsuit names six employees, but up to 70 others may join in the legal proceedings. The firefighters seek damages, attorney's fees, interest and relief.

In an interview with the Post and Courier, the firefighters' attorney Ben Le Clerq said the workers deserve all of the money they are owed because "they put their lives on the line every day."

The suit alleges the city owes them back overtime compensation as a result of a faulty pay system that was difficult to navigate. Additionally, they were not paid for overtime worked during recruit school and required training classes, according to the Post and Courier.

Because of the way the city calculates overtime payment, firefighters who worked more overtime were penalized, argued the lawsuit. The current program uses a combination of base salary, incentive pay and overtime pay to calculate paychecks, but firefighters allege the calculation system often lowers their base pay below minimum wage.

Charleston Fire Chief Karen Brack and other city officials have meanwhile been working to reconfigure the pay system. Transferring from the current salary-based system to a simpler hourly rate will cost an estimated $350,000.

Time and attendance software helps to keep employees informed of compensation for hours worked in case discrepancies arise.

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