Tyger v. Precision Drilling Corp.
Tyger v. Precision Drilling Corp.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiffs Rodney Tyger and Shawn Wadsworth, on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated, and Defendants Precision Drilling Corp., Precision Drilling Oilfield Services, Inc., and Precision Drilling Company, LP have filed cross-motions for partial summary judgment. For the reasons discussed below, Defendants' Motion is granted in part and denied in part, and Plaintiff's Motion is denied.
I. INTRODUCTION
This case has long history before the Court. Named Plaintiffs Rodney Tyger and Shaun Wadsworth ("Plaintiffs"), on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated, filed this Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") collective action complaint on October 17, 2011.
*835Defendants thereafter moved for summary judgment on all claims on February 29, 2012,
On January 17, 2013, this matter was reassigned to me. Following an extensive discovery period, including expert discovery, the parties both moved for summary judgment. Defendants filed a motion for partial summary judgment on April 10, 2017.
Plaintiffs cross moved for summary judgment on April 14, 2017.
II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Defendants Precision Drilling Corp., Precision Drilling Oilfield Services, Inc., and Precision Drilling Company, LP ("Defendants") operate oil and gas drilling rigs under contract with oil and gas producers, known as "operators."
Rig hands who work more than forty hours in a week are compensated at one and a half times their regular hourly rate.
The daily routine of a rig hand on Defendants' well sites is as follows. On some rigs, the crew's scheduled work time commences with a joint meeting with the outgoing crew in the "dog house," or an elevated centralized building located on the rig.
The basic PPE for rig hands includes steel toed boots, a hard hat, safety glasses, fire retardant coveralls ("FRC"), gloves, and ear plugs.
One particular risk to the travails of rig hands are "tripping pipe" operations performed by a derrickhand.
Defendants' drilling rigs also use a variety of different types of drilling mud, including water-based mud, oil-based mud, and gel-based mud.
Precision admits that its drilling operations at times involve the use of caustic and synthetic based mud, and the mixing of caustic and of additives in mud. Precision further admits that caustic is a common name for sodium hydroxide, used mainly to control pH in water based mud, and is a strong alkali that will cause severe burns to eyes, skin and respiratory tract . If an employee is exposed to caustic or its mixing in mud without proper PPE, such as rubber aprons and gloves, possibly use of a respirator, and safety glasses, then exposure can be harmful to an employee's health. Precision admits that exposure to synthetic based mud can be harmful to an employee's health and that harm to an employee's health is likely if, in the mixing process for synthetic based mud, the correct PPE, such as rubber aprons and gloves, and safety glasses, is worn. Precision admits that hundreds of different additives to mud may be used and exposure to the mixing of some of them can be harmful to an employee's health, but denies that harm is likely if proper PPE, like rubber aprons and gloves, in some cases respirators, and safety glasses, is worn.44
Plaintiffs' expert, Ronald E. Bishop, Ph.D., himself states that drilling fluids used on Defendants' rigs contain glycol ethers, such as 2-butoxyethanol, which can disrupt red blood cells and potentially cause endocrine disruption.
During any given shift, rig hands get their dirt, mud, drilling mud, grease, lubricants, and other substances on their PPE.
If a Precision rig hand gets significant amounts of oil-based mud on his coveralls during a shift, he is required to clean his PPE and change his coveralls as soon as possible and on the clock.
Defendants' rigs on which Plaintiffs have worked all have company provided locker rooms or changing areas for donning and doffing this PPE.
Q. Is it common sense that if you get drilling mud that has caustic chemicals on you, that you don't bring it home?
A. I'm sorry?
Q. Is it common sense, if you get drilling fluid on you that contains caustic, you wouldn't want to bring it home and wash it in your laundry machine *839where you do your kid's laundry? Would you agree with me that's common sense?
A. That is common sense but-
Q. Would you agree with me-I'm-would you agree with me that it's common sense that if you get drilling fluid on you and the drilling fluid contains lime, you would not want to bring it home into your house where you have a family?
A. If an employee wants to do that, they can.
Q. And then No. 8 [in the Employee Handbook] says, "In a drilling operation, personal protective equipment is the most widely used protection from exposure to hazardous chemicals. PPE reduces your risk of exposure but does not eliminate the hazards. It is important to select the right protective device for a specific situation and use the device properly." Did I read that correctly?
A. Yes.
Q. So if a "health hazard," as defined in Paragraph 6, gets on standard PPE, is the employee still permitted to bring PPE home?
A. Yes.
Q. Is it safe for the employee to do that? MR. CROW: Objection, form. Foundation.
A. There is nothing-there is no regulation that states they cannot.
...
Q. Do you know if it's safe without-do you know if it's safe, sitting here today?
A. I don't know if it's unsafe. I can't answer. You are asking me "safe." It's either way: Safe or unsafe.
Q. But the question is-let me just ask it-do you know if it's safe for an employee to bring home PPE that has a health hazard on it?
A. I do not know.60
Plaintiffs further cite the testimony of Dr. Ronald Bishop, who stated that:
PPE items primarily protect these workers' eyes and skin from exposures to hazardous materials. However, once exposed to hazardous materials, PPE items themselves become hazardous, primarily via individuals' skin contact with hazardous materials, including potentially endocrine-disrupting glycol ethers and through inhalation of radioactive dust particles and related gases what emanate from contaminated PPE surfaces. Therefore, it is my opinion that it would be unsafe for Precision Drilling employees to bring unclean PPE into enclosed areas (such as personal vehicles) or to bring unclean PPE outside the worksite where it is likely to spread contamination and health hazards .61
III. LAW
Summary judgment is granted when "the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law."
*840
Cross-motions are no more than a claim by each side that it alone is entitled to summary judgment, and the making of such inherently contradictory claims does not constitute an agreement that if one is rejected the other is necessarily justified or that the losing party waives judicial consideration and determination whether genuine issues of material fact exist.67
IV. ANALYSIS
A. Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment
Defendants argue that they are entitled to summary judgment on three premises in this FLSA collective action. First, they argue that the undisputed facts demonstrate that Plaintiffs are not entitled to compensation for donning and doffing of personal protective gear ("PPE"). Second, Defendants argue that, pursuant to the failure of their claim for donning and doffing compensation, Plaintiffs are not entitled to compensation for walking time between the donning and doffing and the pre and post-shift safety meeting locations. Finally, Defendants move for summary judgment on the claim that the failure to pay this above compensation was a willful violation of the FLSA. I will address each of these arguments below.
(1) Whether Defendants Are Entitled to Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs' Compensation Claim for Time Spent Donning and Doffing the Instant Personal Protective Equipment
The Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") was enacted in 1938 to protect covered workers from substandard wages and oppressive working hours.
The FLSA does not define the terms "work" or "workweek."
(1) walking, riding, or traveling to and from the actual place of performance of the principal activity or activities which such employee is employed to perform, and
(2) activities which are preliminary to or postliminary to said principal activity or activities.75
This Act therefore created exceptions for "travel to and from the location of the employee's 'principal activity,' and for activities that are preliminary or postliminary to that principal activity."
"Principal activity or activities" excluded from the ambit of the Portal-to-Portal Act have been defined by the Supreme Court to include "all activities which are an 'integral and indispensable part of the principal activities.' "
The word "integral" means "[b]elonging to or making up an integral whole; constituent, component; spec [ifically ] necessary to the completeness or integrity of the whole; forming an intrinsic portion or element, as distinguished from an adjunct or appendage." (citations omitted). And, when used to describe a duty, "indispensable" means a duty "[t]hat cannot be dispensed with, remitted, set aside, disregarded, or neglected." (citations omitted).
In the conjunctive, "an activity is therefore integral and indispensable to the principal activities that an employee is employed to perform "if it is an intrinsic element of those activities and one with which the employee cannot dispense if he is to perform his principal activities."
In its motion for partial summary judgment and accompanying briefing, Defendants argue that, because donning and doffing the personal protective equipment ("PPE") cited is not a principal activity which Plaintiffs are hired to perform, the inquiry properly before this Court is whether donning and doffing this equipment *842is "integral and indispensable" to their primary activity-drilling oil and gas wells.
Plaintiffs, in opposition here and in their separately addressed motion for partial summary judgment, argue for a contrary result.
Given the citation to both Steiner and the different interpretations which the parties have assigned to this case in light of Busk , discussion and exploration of these cases in greater detail is warranted. In Steiner v. Mitchell , the plaintiffs were battery plant workers who, by nature of their work, were customarily exposed to various chemicals and accompanying fumes.
The Supreme Court held in Steiner that the time battery plant employees spent showering and changing clothes post-shift was compensable, given this toxic exposure, because "it would be difficult to conjure up an instance where changing clothes and showering are more clearly an integral and indispensable part of the principal activity of employment."
Thus, although a battery plant worker might, for example, perform his principal activities without donning proper protective gear, he could not do so safely, (citation omitted); likewise, a butcher might be able to cut meat without having sharpened his knives, but he could not do so effectively. (citation omitted).101
The question presented therefore is whether the undisputed facts concerning the dangers inherent in the principal activity of oil and drilling render the instant personal protective equipment "integral and indispensable." The scope of this analysis necessarily displaces many of the arguments advanced by the parties. First, Plaintiffs, in their brief in opposition, rightly point out the weakness of Defendants' argument that the PPE was not "integral and indispensable" because it was theoretically possible to perform their principal tasks sans any gear.
*844Rather, the pertinent inquiry remains whether the PPE was rendered "integral and indispensable" because, in its absence, Plaintiffs could not drill a well safely or effectively. In support of this Steiner argument, Plaintiffs argue first that, because federal law required the use of the instant PPE (steel toed boots, coveralls, safety glasses, and a hard hat), it was, as a matter of law, "integral and indispensable" to their safe completion of workday tasks.
Protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.
This regulation, however, and any accompanying policy of Defendants requiring the donning of the instant PPE,
As correctly pointed out by Defendants, the Supreme Court in Busk expressly rejected the argument that, because an employer required a particular activity, that activity was in itself "integral and indispensable."
*845In support of their argument that the present drilling activities create a Steiner environment, Plaintiffs cite the following dangers inherent to the drilling of 6,000-foot wells using both potentially dangerous chemicals and machinery.
In the instant matter, Defendants argue that the existence of additional PPE in this case renders the instant generic PPE outside the ambit of "integral and indispensable." In Gorman v. Consolidated Edison Corp., admittedly a pre- Busk interpretation of the donning and doffing issues, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that donning and doffing of similar protective gear-helmet, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots-was not "integral and indispensable" to employment at a nuclear power plant.
However, when the Second Circuit revisited this holding in Perez v. City of New York , a post- Busk decision, it noted that Gorman court did not endorse a categorical rule that generic PPE is never integral or indispensable.
*846Here, the record is replete that, when interacting with potentially hazardous chemicals, Plaintiff workers don additional PPE on the clock. For example, in the Declaration of Mike Skuce, a Vice President of Operations for Precision Drilling Company, L.P., he attests that:
Additional types of PPE are required for performing certain operations on the rig. For example, employees who are required to mix chemicals in drilling mud will often have to wear a face shield, respirator, rubber gloves and rubber apron. Those items will be donned and doffed by an employee during his shift and "on-the-clock." For employees who are performing work that will expose them to significant amounts of oil based mud, Precision also supplies disposable Tyvek suits or waterproof rain suits which are worn over their coveralls. These items are also donned and doffed "on-the-clock."121
The provision of this additional PPE when working with hazardous chemicals is confirmed by (1) Jim Christensen, a rig manager who has throughout the course of his employment worked "on several Precision rigs,"
The existence of this additional, and specialized, PPE is further recognized throughout the factual record by Plaintiffs themselves. For example, in his deposition, Plaintiff James McIvor states the following:
Q. And you agree that the PPE individuals wear protects them from direct exposure to those chemicals?
MR. MOORE: Objection, form.
A. The personnel that are operating or using those chemicals have special PPE to wear.124
Plaintiff John Beaver similarly states:
Q. All right. When you would do that, would you have special PPE that you wore to do that job?
A. Yes, you did.
Q. Can you tell us about that special PPE that you would wear?
A. You'd have to wear a respirator, rubber gloves and a rubber apron.125
The donning and doffing of additional, specialized gear when working with caustic chemicals is repeatedly echoed by other Plaintiffs to this action.
Faithful application of the summary judgment standard requires that I view all facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs and make all reasonable inferences to same. To that end, I must recognize first that Gorman presents a rather narrow view of the compensability of generic PPE. Indeed, beyond the treatment rendered by the Second Circuit when it revisited the issue in Perez , I note that other courts have cautioned against its broad application. For example, in Franklin v. Kellogg Co. , the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit noted that "[t]he Second Circuit's position appears to be *847unique," and that both the "Ninth and Eleventh Circuits have both interpreted Steiner less narrowly."
Furthermore, I note that a genuine dispute of material fact exists concerning the harmful nature of the drilling mud and other chemicals which are commonplace in Plaintiffs' principal duties. For example, Plaintiffs have advanced the opinion of their expert Dr. Bishop concerning the chemical content of drilling muds and the dangers they pose. He stated specifically:
We know what drilling muds have to do. They have to kill the bacteria that form biofilms and plug pores in wells. They have to include corrosion inhibitors because they're drilling holes into hot rock that's also salty, salt water, and highly corrosive, so that the lifetime of steel parts put down into situations like that is a very short lifetime, shorter than they want for the life of the equipment and also for their well.
They also have to include certain lubricants, certain fluid loss additives, and this is before we start talking about special circumstances of high iron in a well or the presence or not of hydrogen sulfide.
So we know what chemicals need to go into these mud mixes simply to do what the muds have to do. And I Know what the range of options are. And all the ranges of options for a working drilling mud, whether its water based or oil-based invert mud, are hazardous chemicals. There are no nonhazardous options for making drilling muds do what they need to do. And there are also very few completely nonhazardous holds in which to drill one you get past about 3,000 feet in depth into the rock.
So it's not a question of are these people being exposed to hazardous chemicals. They are being exposed to hazardous chemicals. At this point the only question is how much and for how long.130
Dr. Bishop's Report itself states that the dangers of glycol ether, such as 2-butoxyethanol, exposure, and the presence of the same in Precision drilling fluid additives.
Defendants essentially argue that, even if accepted by the Court, this toxicity is nevertheless immaterial due to the presence of specialized PPE when mixing chemicals. This contention, however, is unavailing given that the factual record contains instances of Plaintiffs' coveralls, while crafted as flame retardant, being covered by drilling mud and chemicals. Plaintiffs have first noted the deposition testimony of numerous rig managers who conceded that these coveralls often become covered by oil-based mud.
Q. It can soak through the coverall, can't it?
A. Exactly. It gives you a layer of some protection, but it also-that's why I was hesitating just asking because it's, again, it's each situation is different and protection is subject to interpretation. But as far as keeping oil-based mud off of you completely, other than a rubber suit with a hose hooked to it for oxygen, forget it. It's going to get on you.136
In sum, when viewing the factual record in the light most favorable to the non-moving party-Plaintiffs, I conclude that a genuine dispute of material fact concerning the toxicity of the oil-based mud precludes the entry of summary judgment in Defendants' favor. While the instant PPE is essentially "generic" in nature, I find compelling the Second Circuit's decision in Perez v. City of New York that a finding of "integral or indispensable" is not categorically foreclosed by genericness.
*849(2) Whether Defendants Are Entitled to Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs' Compensation Claim for Time Spent Walking Between the Donning and Doffing and Pre and Post-Shift Safety Meeting Locations
The law is settled that walking time is non-compensable under the Portal to Portal Act when it precedes the start of principal work activities or follows the end of such activities.
(3) Whether Defendants Are Entitled to Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs Claim that the Failure to Pay this Above Compensation Was a Willful Violation of the FLSA
Defendants next move for summary judgment on Plaintiffs' claim to the extent it alleges that the failure to pay the above compensation was a willful violation of the FLSA. The FLSA provides two (2) different statutes of limitation: three (3) years if the violation is willful, and two (2) years if it is not willful.
If an employer acts reasonably in determining its legal obligation, its action cannot be deemed willful under either petitioner's test or under the standard we *850set forth. If an employer acts unreasonably, but not recklessly, in determining its legal obligation, then...it should not be so considered under [Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. ] Thurston [,469 U.S. 111 ,105 S.Ct. 613 ,83 L.Ed.2d 523 (1985) ] or the identical standard we approve today.145
The determination of willfulness is a mixed question of law and fact.
At the outset, I note that, in their brief in opposition, Plaintiffs failed to oppose the issuance of summary judgment on this ground. Plaintiffs can therefore be deemed to have abandoned any argument in favor of a willful violation by Defendants, and thus any request for a three year statute of limitations.
B. Plaintiffs' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment
Plaintiffs have also moved for partial summary judgment in this action. This concurrent resolution of cross-motions for summary judgment, as are presented here, "can present a formidable task."
*851In their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Plaintiffs move for the judgment on liability, arguing that: (1) pre-shift and post-shift donning and doffing constituted work and was compensable, and (2) all the time walking to and waiting for pre-and post-shift safety/changeover meeting constituted work and was compensable under the continuous workday rule.
In their Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, Plaintiffs argue, in essence, that summary judgment is appropriate because both the Third Circuit and Supreme Court have recognized that donning and doffing of personal protective gear to be compensable work.
For example, in DeAsencio , a pre- Busk case, the Third Circuit held that, in determining whether donning and doffing in a chicken processing plant was otherwise compensable, the District Court committed error by instructing the jury that "work" necessarily required a "sufficiently laborious degree of exertion."
Furthermore, Plaintiffs cite Sandifer v. United States Steel Corp. , in which the Supreme Court stated in what is admittedly dicta, that:
Because this donning-and-doffing time would otherwise be compensable under the Act, U.S. Steel's contention of noncompensability *852stands or falls upon the validity of a provision of its collective-bargaining agreement with petitioners' union, which says that this time is noncompensable.160
However, in Sandifer, the employer was not arguing that changing clothes and washing were not otherwise compensable activities. Rather, the employer argued that the collective bargaining exception set forth in
Rather, as expressed above, the compensability of the instant donning and doffing of PPE hinges on an "integral and indispensable" analysis as more fully explained above. I further note that, with all facts viewed in the light most favorable and all reasonable inferences made in favor of the non-moving party-Plaintiffs, I found that, because there exists a genuine dispute of material fact concerning Plaintiffs' compensation claim for donning/doffing and walking time, summary judgment in Defendants' favor was not appropriate. Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, premised on the same factual scenario and with all reasonable inferences drawn in favor of Defendants,
Plaintiffs also move for summary judgment on an independent and alternative premise. Specifically, to the extent not swept into compensable time by the continuous workday rule, Plaintiffs request that this Court hold that time spent by employees in pre and post-shift safety meetings and crew changeover meetings constitutes "work" and is otherwise compensable.
*853Having reviewed the operative Amended Complaint in this action and the Memorandum and Order of this Court certifying the instant collective, I am in agreement with Defendants that this claim for compensation for pre-shift safety meetings is beyond the scope of alleged violation. Indeed, in the Amended Complaint, and in addition to the alleged donning and doffing violations, Plaintiffs allege the following Portal-to-Portal Act violations:
36. After donning at the Reporting Location the PPE mandated by Defendants and/or OSHA, Named Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs were and are required to walk to the safety meeting location ("Meeting Location").
37. Defendants did and do not compensate Named Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs for anytime they spend walking from the Reporting Location to the Meeting Location or for any time spent from the moment Named Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs don their gear until the safety meeting starts at the Meeting Location (15 minutes before the official "start" time of the shift).
38. At the end of the shift, Defendants require that Plaintiff and Named Plaintiffs attend a safety meeting.
39. Moreover, Defendants stop paying Named Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs at the official end time of their shift, even though the safety meeting typically lasts at least 5-10 minutes beyond the end-time of the shift.168
Moreover, in their Brief in Support of Conditional Certification, Plaintiffs moved to certify the following allegedly violative practices:
(1) Defendants' failure to pay hourly rig employees for time spent donning and doffing PPE; (2) Defendants' failure to pay hourly rig employees for time spent walking to and from the donning and doffing location to the safety/changeover meeting location; and (3) Defendants' failure to pay hourly rig employees for time spent in post-shift safety/changeover meetings.169
Based on this representation, and finding that the necessary showing had been satisfied, the Court conditionally certified this collective on January 7, 2013.
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, a complaint must provide a defendant with "fair notice of what the plaintiff's claim is and the grounds upon which it rests."
Plaintiffs are similarly not entitled to summary judgment on their claim for the compensability of time spent in post-shift safety meetings.
V. CONCLUSION
Based on the above reasoning, Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is granted in part and denied in part. The Motion is granted with respect to Plaintiffs' claim on the applicable statute of limitations.
Plaintiffs' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is denied in its entirety.
An appropriate Order follows.
Defendants have also moved to strike Plaintiffs Statement of Undisputed Material Facts as having run afoul of M.D.Pa. Local R. 56.1. ("A motion for summary judgment filed pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P.56, shall be accompanied by a separate, short and concise statement of the material facts, in numbered paragraphs, as to which the moving party contends there is no genuine issue to be tried."). Having reviewed both Plaintiffs' submission and Defendants' eighty-one (81) page response, I will deny this motion. The density and scope of this filing is owed to Plaintiff's theory of this case as developed from relevant case law. While at times inclusive of immaterial facts, Plaintiffs' inclusion and citation to the record nevertheless aided the Court in addressing their arguments.
ECF No. 1.
ECF No. 8.
ECF No. 18.
ECF No. 28.
ECF No. 23.
ECF No. 48.
ECF No. 49.
Pls.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ("Pls.' SUMF") (ECF No. 249) ¶ 2; Defs.' Response to Pls.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ("Defs.' Resp.") (ECF No. 263) ¶ 2.
ECF No. 239.
ECF Nos. 241, 257, & 271.
ECF No. 245.
ECF Nos. 248, 262, & 272.
The relevant facts are taken from the factual record in its entirety, to the extent undisputed. Any facts that remain in dispute are noted as such.
Defs.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ("Defs.'s SUMF")(ECF No. 240) ¶ 1; Pl.'s Answer to Defs.' Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ("Pl.'s Answer") (ECF No. 258) ¶ 1.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 2; Pls.' Answer ¶ 2.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶¶ 4-5; Pls.' Answer ¶¶ 4-5.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 6; Pls.' Answer ¶ 6.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 7; Pls.' Answer ¶ 7.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 7.
Defs.' Responses to Pl.'s First Request for Admissions, Second Set of Production Requests, and Third Set of Interrogatories.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 5.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 21 n.3.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 15; Pls.' Answer ¶ 15. Plaintiffs dispute that compensable work commences at this changeover meeting, arguing that donning the at-issue PPE constitutes the beginning of compensable time. See Pls.' Answer ¶ 15.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 16; Pls.' Answer ¶ 16. Plaintiffs dispute that they were not required to don the PPE at issue prior to this paid pre-tour safety meeting given both OSHA regulations and a confluence of Precision safety rules. See Pls.' Answer ¶ 16.
Decl. of Mike Skuce (ECF No. 242-1) ¶ 15; Decl. of James Christiansen (ECF No. 242-3) ¶¶ 7-8.
Decl. of Patrick Breaux (ECF No. 242-2) ¶ 5.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 18; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 18.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 14; Pls.' Answer ¶ 14.
See Precision Training Manual (requiring that "[y]ou must be wearing all of your protective equipment once you get past the vehicles toward the rig because work activities may be occurring there.").
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 24; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 24.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 30; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 30.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 30-31; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 30-31.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 31; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 31.
Defs.' Resp. ¶ 31.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 27; Pls.' Answer ¶ 27.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 27. Over time, "gel and barite" exposure can cause "silicosis or other respiratory problems."
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 30; Pls.' Answer ¶ 30.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 35; Pls.' Answer ¶ 35.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 41; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 41 (emphasis added).
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 52.
Defs.' Resp. ¶ 52 (citing Expert Report of John M. DeSesso (ECF No. 264-1), at 8).
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 2; Pls.' Answer ¶ 2.
Pls.' SUMF ¶ 38; Defs.' Resp. ¶ 38.
Pls.' SUMF ¶¶ 61-62; Defs. Resp. ¶¶ 61-62.
See Dep. of Shayne Klepper (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 242-9) at 48:5-49:2; Dep. of James Joyce (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 242-16) at 25:14-28:20; Dep. of Cody Neufeld (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 10) at 106:22-108:22.
Dep. of Ronald Bishop at 121:4-124:22.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 38; Pls.' Answer ¶ 38.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 37.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 38; Pls.' Answer ¶ 38.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 40; Pls.' Answer ¶ 40.
Defs.'s SUMF ¶ 13; Pls.' Answer ¶ 13.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 13.
Pls.' Answer ¶ 17.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a).
Lichtenstein v. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center ,
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c)(1) ; Liberty Lobby ,
Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp. ,
See Lawrence v. City of Philadelphia ,
Lawrence v. City of Philadelphia ,
Barrentine v. Arkansas-Best Freight System ,
Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk ,
Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk , --- U.S. ----,
IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez ,
De Asencio v. Tyson Foods, Inc. ,
IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez ,
Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk , --- U.S. ----,
Defs.' Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 241), at 10.
To the extent that the present working conditions evidence a lethal environment, Defendants argue that additional protective gear (including a respirator, face mask, rubber apron, and rubber gloves) is donned by employees on the clock. See Defs.' Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 241), at 16.
Defs.' Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 241), at 15-16.
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257).
Steiner v. Mitchell ,
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257), at 5-20.
Steiner ,
--- U.S. ----,
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257), at 3-6.
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257), at 4.
See HSE Field Reference Manual at 8-9.
Busk ,
Busk ,
See Gorman v. Consolidated Edison Corp. ,
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257), at 10.
Pl.'s Memorandum of Law in Opp. To Defs.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 257), at 6-7.
See Defs.' Reply Br. in Further Support of Mot. for Part. Summ. J. (ECF No. 272), at 10. No motion to strike this expert report has been filed, and, for the purposes of the instant analysis, the Court assumes that this evidence is admissible.
Defs.' Resp. ¶ 52 (citing Expert Report of John M. DeSesso (ECF No. 264-1), at 8).
See, e.g. , Alanis v. Tracer Indus. Mgmt. Co. ,
Declaration of Mike Skuce (ECF No. 242-1) ¶ 12.
Declaration of Jim Christensen (ECF No. 242-3) ¶ 17; Deposition (ECF No. 242:11), at 32:3-4.
Dep. of Shayne Klepper (ECF No. 242-9) at 49:3-23.
Dep. of James McIvor (ECF No. 242-12) at 47:16-20.
Dep. of John Beaver (ECF No. 242-22) at 43:19-25.
See, e.g., Dep. of Cody Neufeld (ECF No. 242-10) at 118:17-119:23; 123:2-14; Dep. of Jeremy Outman (ECF No. 242-25) at 24:15-23; 81:24-82:8; Dep. of Michael Volkman (ECF No. 242-31) at 59:24-62:11; Dep. of Kaamil Alghanee (ECF No. 242-32) at 30:5-25; Dep. of Jeremy Mitchell (ECF No. 242-34) at 48: 3-18.
See, e.g., Spoerle v. Kraft Foods Glob., Inc. ,
Dep. of Ronald Bishop at 78:11-79:16.
See Expert Report of Ronald E. Bishop, Ph.D., CHO, at 5.
Dep. of Glenn Hoganson (ECF No. 242-20) at 23:6-16 (Q. And in all of your times working on rigs, you got oil-based mud on your skin, right? A. From head to toe. Q. Have you ever gotten sick from it? A. No. But my brother has gotten severely ill from it, which is funny because, you know, I kept telling him, ahh, it's all in your head, it's all in your head. But when he went to the doctor, the blood and skin infections and everything he had were real, and to this day I catch a little gruff from my parents over it.).
Defs.' Resp. ¶ 52 (citing Expert Report of John M. DeSesso (ECF No. 264-1), at 8).
See Dep. of Shayne Klepper (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 242-9) at 44:10-44:24; 48:5-49:2; Dep. of James Joyce (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 242-16) at 25:14-28:20; Dep. of Cody Neufeld (Rig Manager) (ECF No. 10) at 106:22-108:22.
Dep. of Ronald Bishop at 121:4-124:22.
Dep. of Glenn Hoganson (ECF No. 242-2) at 22:20-23:5.
I note that Defendants also move for the imposition of summary judgment under the "change at home rule." As noted above and in complement to settled law, Department of Labor ("DOL") regulations declare that principal activities "include [ ] all activities which are an integral part of a principal activity."
Among the activities included as an integral part of a principal activity are those closely related activities which are indispensable to its performance. If an employee in a chemical plant, for example, cannot perform his principal activities without putting on certain clothes, changing clothes on the employer's premises at the beginning and end of the workday would be an integral part of the employee's principal activity. On the other hand, if changing clothes is merely a convenience to the employee and not directly related to his principal activities, it would be considered as a preliminary or postliminary activity rather than a principal part of the activity. However, activities such as checking in and out and waiting in line to do so would not ordinarily be regarded as integral parts of the principal activity or activities.Id. § 790.8(c).
In an explanatory footnote, the regulation further states that "[s]uch a situation may exist where the changing of clothes on the employer's premises is required by law, by rules of the employer, or by the nature of the work."
IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez ,
See
McLaughlin v. Richland Shoe Co. ,
Lugo v. Farmer's Pride Inc. ,
Bowser v. Bogdanovic , Civil Action No. 08-CV-847,
See Lugo v. Farmer's Pride Inc. ,
Interbusiness Bank, N.A. v. First Nat'l Bank of Mifflintown ,
See Rains v. Cascade Indus., Inc. ,
See Interbusiness Bank ,
Pls.' Memorandum of Law in Supp. of its Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 248) at 4.
Id. at 7.
When presented with cross motions for summary judgment, each movant must show that no genuine issue of material fact exists; if both parties fall to carry their respective burdens, the court must deny the motions. See Facenda v. N.F.L. Films, Inc. ,
Further preventing the issuance of summary judgment in favor of Plaintiffs is the genuine dispute of material fact concerning the time spent donning and doffing this non-unique personal protective equipment. Cf. Decl. of Jim Christensen (ECF No. 242-3) ¶ 11 with Dep. of Rodney Tyger (ECF No. 242-17) at 101:22-103:2. See, e.g., Alvarez v. IBP, Inc. ,
Pls.' Memorandum of Law in Supp. of its Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 248) at 26. "Work," however, does not render the safety meetings compensable. Rather, like above, the Court must find them to be "integral and indispensable" to a principal acitivity. See Bonds ,
Defs.' Br. In Opp. To Pls.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 262) at 29.
Am. Compl. (ECF No. 8) ¶¶ 36-39.
See ECF No. 24, at 7.
See ECF No. 49.
Williams v. New Castle County ,
I am cognizant, however, that any claim for uncompensated time spent in such pre-shift meetings would be rendered compensable under the continuous workday rule if a reasonable jury renders the donning and doffing of the instant PPE "integral and indispensable."
See Pls.' Memorandum of Law in Supp. of its Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 248) at 26("All employees attended mandatory pre-tour meetings prior to mid-2010, but employees working outside Pennsylvania were never paid retroactively for all meetings."); see also Am. Compl. (ECF No. 8) ¶ 24 ("Named Plaintiffs worked for Precision Defendants at their location in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.").
See Martsolf v. JBC Legal Grp., P.C. , No. 04-CV-1346,
I note that Defendants argue rather extensively that a post-shift safety meeting is not common to the collective as a whole. See Defs.' Br. In Opp. To Pls.' Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 262) at 27. Indeed, in the brief in support of their motion for summary judgment, Defendants argue that they will be moving to decertify the collective on this ground. See Defs.' Br. in Supp. of Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 241), at 1 n. 1. This commonality argument is properly reserved for that vehicle.
See Pls.' Memorandum of Law in Supp. of its Mot. for Partial Summ. J. (ECF No. 248) at 27.
Defs. Br. in Opp. To Pls.' Mot for Summ. J. (ECF No. 262) at 29.
Decl. of Jim Christensen (ECF No. 242-3) ¶¶ 8-9; Decl. of Shayne Klepper (ECF No. 242-4) ¶¶ 9-10; Decl. of Shayne Klepper (ECF No. 242-5) ¶¶ 8-9; Decl. of Dale Quigley (ECF No. 242-6) ¶¶ 12-13.
ECF No. 48.
See Anderson v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Co. ,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Rodney TYGER and Shawn Wadsworth, on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated v. PRECISION DRILLING CORP.
- Cited By
- 2 cases
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- Published