April 3, 2019: Kenny Cain and James Taylor worked as flaggers for Simpkins Weston Professional Services, providing traffic safety services for roadside construction projects throughout Maryland. On a typical day, they would arrive at the company warehouse to load equipment and drive the company vehicle to assigned construction sites. Once onsite, they’d work long hours flagging, closing lanes of traffic, and placing and securing safety signaling equipment.
Despite the long days, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Cain were not paid for all of their work. The company had a policy of not paying their workers for the loading and travel time. They also did not pay overtime consistently.
Mr. Cain and Mr. Taylor sued for their wages in federal court, represented by the Public Justice Center. Though denying liability, Simpkins Weston ultimately agreed to pay Mr. Cain and Mr. Taylor nearly double their unpaid wages. In addition, the company confirmed that it has revised its policies and currently pays for travel and loading time. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Cain are thrilled to receive fair compensation for their labor, and to know that their courage in standing up for their own rights has helped to protect the rights of other workers as well.
Image by OlinEJ on Pixabay
