Wage claims filed against Dickinson company

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Four employees who recently left their positions at a Dickinson safety company have filed wage grievances with the North Dakota Department of Labor.

The wage claims were finalized with the DOL Friday. The parties at odds have the opportunity to work out a settlement before further action is taken.

A settlement from a separate wage claim from October was finalized Friday between another former Badlands Integrity Group employee and the company, DOL human rights director Kathy Kulesa said.

Former BIG employees Mary Ann Luithle, Summer May, Latoya Myran and Jodi Venneman filed for wages owed in the sum of $14,491, according to DOL records. All four declined comment for this story.

From her north Dickinson office, BIG president and managing director Shelly Fleck confirmed Friday that five employees recently walked off the job, but said her company doesn’t owe the former employees money.

“I don’t know why they left,” Fleck said. “I have never not paid those girls. Ever. I’ve bent over backwards for every single one of them.”

BIG also has two other money judgments pending, according to Stark County clerk of court records. Hagemeyer North America Inc. is seeking $25,086 in damages while Newman Signs Inc. is seeking $12,078. Fleck said BIG has been in contact with the companies and is “working on” settling the judgments.

Venneman’s claim is for $5,200 while May filed for $4,766, Luithle $3,900 and Myran $625. DOL Commissioner Tony Weiler said details surrounding the claims are not public.

In a statement given Friday afternoon, a BIG spokesperson said “Badlands Integrity Group was astonished to learn from The Dickinson Press that grievances have been filed with the North Dakota Department of Labor. The (DOL) has not notified BIG of such grievances. BIG will do diligence to clear up any claims if indeed there were grievances filed. At this time, nothing has been acknowledged.”

A compliance and human resources company specializing in services such as drug testing and safety training for oil field companies, BIG opened its doors in March 2010.

“I don’t have anything but good things to say about BIG,” said Clean Energy Fluids co-owner Thomas Short, a client of BIG. “Shelly has always been great to us. Once, we accidently overpaid her and she returned it all back to us as soon as she found out.”

Fleck said Friday that BIG has five employees and that the company is not in financial trouble. Kulesa said that a letter would be sent to BIG outlining the wage claims filed. A total of 654 wage claims were filed with the DOL in 2012.

Tags: badlands integrity group, news, dickinson, big, wages, claim