Vertex suing offshore services firm

HOUSTON – Vertex Services, a Texas-based staffing company, has claimed in a May 18 federal lawsuit that Houston offshore oil services companies - TETRA Technologies Inc. and TETRA Applied Technologies - saved more than $850,000 in labor costs by hiring foreigners and skirted federal law, which mandates hiring 25 percent of American citizens or permanent resident workers for jobs in U.S. waters. Vertex Services of Houston supplies workers for oil rigs and pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. TETRA employs hundreds of workers on six continents, and its technologies division has offices in Baton Rouge, Metairie, and New Orleans, La. Vertex claims it contracted with TETRA to supply workers for three derrick barges - vessels equipped with cranes. The Coast Guard can give companies waivers to hire foreigners. Vertex claims in January 2014, it offered American workers for TETRA’s barges, but that the firm opted to hire foreigners from Vertex. Historically, foreign workers have been less expensive. Vertex is alleging TETRA violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations and Immigration and Nationality acts. “TETRA Technologies is committed to operating at the highest regulatory, safety and technical industry standards and best practices in accordance with the laws of every country in which we operate,” according to company spokesperson Rebecca Elliott. (Source: Courthouse News 05/22/17)