FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Press Contact: Linda Paris, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, 202-308-5186, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – On October 21, 2024, a group of Latino construction workers announced that they have reached an $800,000 settlement agreement to resolve their wage theft lawsuit on behalf of themselves and other construction workers against Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, one of the largest US construction companies, Centerline Construction Company, and Congratulations Construction, Inc.
Ari Rivera*, Sierra Patel*, Luca Moreno*, and Nina Cruz* alleged that subcontractors Centerline and Congratulations engaged in a complex and intentional scheme to rob employees working on the construction of the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.
Rivera* noted at the time of filing the lawsuit, “Some of our salary was taken from us and we had to work under false names. I hope that this lawsuit serves as an example for other companies to not do this.”
“We are proud to stand with construction workers fighting wage theft and misclassification,” said Sarah Bessell of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “Our clients alleged that they were cheated out of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages that they had earned. This $800,000 settlement will compensate more than 15 construction workers who built a premier cancer center that will be used by many Marylanders.”
“Especially when working on public projects, employees deserve to be paid all the wages they are due. We call on the legislature of the State of Maryland and the University System of Maryland to institute much better procedures to validate that contractors pay all their employees correctly.” said Mark Hanna of Murphy Anderson PLLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by Mark Hanna of Murphy Anderson PLLC, and Joanna K. Wasik and Sarah L. Bessell of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
About Murphy Anderson PLLC
Murphy Anderson is a Washington-based law firm representing workers and unions. Murphy Anderson lawyers practice labor, employment, whistleblower and First Amendment law. We are experienced, creative advocates with a strong commitment to free speech, community service and social justice.
About Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs partners with community members and organizations on scores of cases to combat discrimination in housing, employment, education, immigration, criminal justice reform, public accommodations, based on race, gender, disability, family size, history of criminal conviction, and more. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee has secured a relentless stream of civil rights victories over the past five decades in an effort to achieve justice for all. For more information, please visit https://www.washlaw.org.
*pseudonym