Thirty-four Construction Workers in Maryland and D.C. Settle Wage-Theft Case for $570,000
With representation from Murphy Anderson, 34 workers who repaired and replaced public water and sewer lines in Maryland and Washington, D.C. successfully resolved a wage-theft case for a total settlement amount of $570,000. The defendants in the case were subcontractor Amerigal Construction Co., Inc. and two of the region’s largest construction contractors: Fort Myer Construction Corporation and Capitol Paving of D.C., Inc.
The workers worked for Amerigal under its subcontracts with Fort Myer and Capitol Paving. They alleged that they experienced several forms of wage theft on projects for DC Water and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which are responsible for maintaining water and sewer lines in D.C. and Mongomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland.
The workers alleged that Amerigal failed to pay them anything for the time they spent at its yard each morning or for the time they spent traveling from there to the day’s job site. They alleged that Amerigal paid them less than the required wage rates for their work on public projects. Finally, they alleged that money was illegally deducted from their pay, with such deductions described on their paystubs as "FRINGES." The workers alleged that these underpayments also resulted in their not receiving the required overtime wages for all their hours worked over 40 each workweek.
Murphy Anderson filed the case in federal court in Washington, D.C., ultimately obtaining settlements totaling $570,000 from Fort Myer and Capitol Paving. In addition, the Court barred Amerigal from doing any work under any water or sewer utility construction contract with DC Water or WSSC for two years. The Court also barred Amerigal’s owner, Luis Ezequiel, from owning, controlling, or managing any construction company that performs any work for DC Water or WSSC for two years.
Murphy Anderson attorneys Mark Hanna, Arlus Stephens, Nicolas Mendoza, and David Rodwin represented the workers.