Directional Drillers Represented by Nichols Kaster, PLLP Lodge Overtime Action Against Baker Hughes

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN, February 08, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On February 3, 2016, a former directional driller filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District Court of California seeking overtime pay from Baker Hughes Inteq Drilling Fluids, Inc., and Baker Hughes, Inc. (collectively "Baker Hughes"). He brought the case on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated workers nationwide who were paid a day rate and no additional overtime premium. Plaintiff's complaint alleges that Baker Hughes unlawfully classified some of its directional drillers as independent contractors (also referred to as "consultants"), and failed to pay them an overtime premium in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as California and Pennsylvania state wage laws. The lawsuit seeks overtime premiums, plus double damages.

Defendant Baker Hughes Inteq Drilling Fluids, Inc. ("Inteq") is a Delaware Corporation headquarted in Texas and is a subsidiary of Baker Hughes, Inc.. Inteq is an oilfield services company that designs, manufactures, and supplies wellbore-related products and services for drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production, and reservoir technology.

Plaintiff's attorney Daniel Brome stated, "directional drillers work extremely long hours, often 12-hour shifts for seven to ten days in a row. These directional drillers were treated as independent contractors and denied overtime, even though they work side-by-side with directional drillers who are considered employees and who receive overtime. We seek to right these wrongs."

Plaintiffs are represented by Michele R. Fisher and Daniel S. Brome from Nichols Kaster, PLLP, which has offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and San Francisco, California. The case is entitled, McCulloch et al. v. Baker Hughes Inteq Drilling Fluids, Inc., and Baker Hughes, Inc.. Case No. 1:16-at-00082 (Eastern District of California).

Additional information about how to make a claim in the case may be found at www.nka.com or by calling Nichols Kaster, PLLP toll free at (877) 448-0492.

Nichols Kaster is a nationally recognized plaintiffs firm that focuses on representing employees and consumers whose rights have been violated. The firm was selected as a member of the National Law Journal's Litigation Boutiques Hot List, ranked as a Best Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report, selected as a top plaintiffs' employment law firm by Law360 and named one the top 50 Elite Trial Lawyers by The National Law Journal and Law.com.

The firm is led by its partners, who are regularly selected by their peers as Super Lawyers, and sit on the boards of numerous professional organizations, including the National Association of Employment Lawyers, the ABA Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee and the Council for the Minnesota State Bar Association's Consumer Litigation Section.

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