PITTSBURGH — A former electrician for an oil and gas drilling company is suing over allegations of unpaid overtime and wrongful termination.
Jason Green filed a lawsuit on March 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Sidewinder Drilling Inc. and Union Drilling Inc., citing violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), violation of the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (PMWA), breach of contract, violation of wage payment and collection law, and unjust enrichment.
According to the complaint, Green began working for Union in 2005 as an oil rig driller. In 2009, he was promoted to the maintenance department as an electrician and top drive technician, a position he retained when Union was acquired by and merged into Sidewinder.
The plaintiff claims that from 2012 through June 2013, he worked shifts that lasted a minimum of 12 hours with one day off for every 13 days worked without receiving overtime compensation. From 2013 through July 21, 2015, Green states, he was paid overtime until he realized that the defendant allegedly stopped during that July. The plaintiff avers that shortly after reporting the underpayment to the human resources department, he was terminated on Sept. 21, 2015.
Green seeks damages for overtime compensation, liquidated damages, back pay, lost wages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, costs, and a trial by jury. He is represented by Maureen Davidson-Welling and Vincent J. Mersich of Stember Cohn & Davidson-Welling LLC in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 16-62