A $2.1 million agreement was reached to settle claims raised in a Fair Labor Standards Act collective action that alleged that the members of class of oil field workers were not properly paid for the overtime that they worked.
The defendants in the case, Keane Frac LP LLC, Keane Frac LP and Keane Group Holdings LLC informed a Pennsylvania federal judge that they have reached a settlement with a class of “frac supervisor I’s” that will resolve FLSA claims in a collective action that was filed against companies.
The settlement agreement for collective action indicated that counsel for the plaintiffs felt that the deal reached search for the best interests of the collective with respect to any potential costs, risks and delay that would be associated with continued litigation when compared with the benefits offered by the settlement.
The settlement agreement for the overtime exemption lawsuit stated, “Defendant denies and continues to deny all of plaintiff’s allegations in the action.” It went on to state, “Defendant enters into this agreement expressly disavowing any faults, liability and/or wrongdoing.”
In June of this year, U.S. District Court Judge Nora Barry Fischer issued conditional certification to the collective class of oilfield workers currently in formerly classified as “frac supervisor I’s” and other employees with similar classification who had worked for the company’s during the past three years.
Lead Plaintiff Christopher Meals stated in the overtime exemption lawsuit that the supervisors in question performed manual labor for the company, assisting in hydraulic fracking operations, stating that they should not be classified as exempt. Meals stated that all of the “frac supervisor I’s” in question were classified as exempt employees who were paid a salary with a bonus and were not paid for any overtime worked.
The overtime exemption lawsuit stated that the companies followed a policy that led them to misclassifying supervisor I’s as employees exempt from overtime, but the policy violated the FLSA.
Meals filed the collective action overtime exemption lawsuit in November 2016 as a former employee who worked with the companies beginning in March 2013, obtaining the position as supervisor I from November 2015 March 2016, the court documents state. Meals stated that all similarly classified employees share similar job duties as exempt employees and were not compensated for the overtime they worked.
The collective is represented by Rowdy B. Meeks of Rowdy Meeks Legal Group LLC.
The Overtime Exemption Lawsuit is Meals v. Keane Frac GP LLC, et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-01674, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Filing an Overtime Exemption Lawsuit
If your employer has erroneously misclassified you as an exempt employee not eligible to receive overtime pay, but your job duties do not fall under those aligned with exempt status, you may be eligible to file an overtime exemption lawsuit.
An attorney familiar with the legal issues surrounding wage and hour concerns including unpaid overtime and employee misclassification can provide you with a free consultation to review the individual details of your particular case and can guide you in understanding the legal options that are available to you.
Join a Free Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2026 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
Suing for unpaid wages in California: Recover unpaid overtime, back pay and more
April 2, 2026 | Legal News
