Epoch Times by Matthew Vadum 6/10/2019
The Supreme Court unanimously rejected a California-based offshore oil rig worker’s claim that he should be paid for off-the-clock time on the oil platforms, as California law requires, because federal law alone governs the facilities that are based on the Outer Continental Shelf.
After Texas and North Dakota, California is the third-largest oil-producing state. Oil is reportedly produced on 32 offshore platforms and artificial islands in Southern California alone.
The ruling, which overturns a decision by the oft-reversed 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a victory for the Trump administration, which sided with the employer in the case, Houston, Texas-based company Parker Drilling Management Services Ltd.
The financial claim was brought by Brian Newton, who worked on the company’s drilling platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel from 2013 to 2015. Newton worked 14-day segments, with 12 hours on duty and 12 hours off on what his attorneys call “controlled standby.†A number of employees shared his schedule, but others worked the other 12-hour shifts, which let the platforms function 24 hours a day.
More:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/supreme-court-rules-state-law-does-not-apply-to-outer-continental-shelf_2957959.html