Offshore Oil Rig Pay Laws Get High Court Look

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in Parker Drilling Management Services v. Newton, over whether offshore oil rig workers—who typically have 14-day shifts miles from the coast—should be governed by state or federal wage-and-hour law under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

• California Laws: California’s worker-friendly wage-and-hour laws guarantee that workers would get a minimum wage of $11 an hour and be paid for rest and break time, among other benefits.

• Wider Scope: Business groups say an outcome for the workers could potentially extend to all state laws and create industry uncertainty, Erin Mulvaney reports.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over whether California or federal wage laws apply to offshore oil rig workers.

Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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