PITTSBURGH — A security guard at The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh sued Wednesday on behalf of herself and other guards, claiming they weren't paid accurately for hours worked before the casino installed employee time clocks.

The federal lawsuit filed by Pauline Schaefers also contends the casino has failed to pay guards time-and-a-half for any hours in excess of 40 worked each week.

Casino officials haven't been served with the suit and can't comment until their legal department reviews it, said George Matta II, the casino's director of business development and community relations.

Schaefers' lawyers want a judge to approve a class action on behalf of about 30 guards they claim are in the same situation.

The security guards started working in May 2009, when the casino began preparations to open. According to the lawsuit, however, employee time clocks were not installed until Aug. 5, 2009, four days before the casino opened to the public.

Before the clocks were installed, security guards were hourly based on what they were scheduled to work, even if they worked more hours, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit contends the guards regularly worked more than 40 hours a week during this period but were not paid for those hours — let alone at the time-and-a-half rate they were owed for overtime.

Security guards were also required to report early to relieve those on prior shifts and had to come in early or stay late for meetings called by management without being paid, the suit said.

Schaefers makes $10.50 an hour, according to the lawsuit, and her lawyers want a judge to declare it a class action to cover other guards with similar claims.