SHREVEPORT – Two oil well pressure control operators are seeking the court's help against their former employer over allegedly unpaid wages.
Ron Brothers and Elijah Hill filed a lawsuit Feb. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division against Supreme Service and Specialty Co. Inc. over claims that defendant violated the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were employed by Supreme to operate equipment that controlled the well pressure at oil and gas drilling sites. They assert that Supreme would regularly assign them 13 to 14 hours of work a day for five to seven days a week. This schedule, plaintiffs attest, went beyond 40 hours a week. However, the plaintiffs claim that the defendant did not pay them for their overtime. Plaintiff also claims that defendant knew of, approved of and benefited from their work and yet failed to make a good faith effort to comply with overtime provisions under FLSA guidelines. The plaintiffs also allege that the defendant failed to keep proper tracking of their hours worked.
They are suing for all wages owed, unused vacation and overtime compensation for the three-year period they worked for the defendant, liquidated damages, state and law statutory penalty, attorney fees and court costs, prejudgment interest, and any other relief deemed proper by the court. They want a jury trial and are represented by Pamela R. Jones of Downer, Jones, Marino, & Wilhite LLC in Shreveport.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Case number 5:16-cv-00167