DC workers are the backbone of our local economy.

We will use every tool to ensure they get the wages and benefits they earned — especially as the cost of living in DC keeps rising.

If your worker rights have been violated in DC, contact us at [email protected], [email protected], or 202-724-7730.

Now, Brother Mechanical will pay $500,000 in worker restitution and $1 million in penalties.

Critically, the company will also be required to prevent worker misclassification by reviewing subcontractors' payrolls, conducting audits, and training workers.

And OAG will monitor future compliance.

Worker misclassification is illegal and hurts both workers and the District.

Workers are deprived of basic protections like overtime pay, paid sick leave, and paid family leave.

And companies avoid paying taxes that fund Social Security, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation.

Brothers Mechanical and its subcontractors worked on major developments in DC.

This includes The Armature Works, The Gantry, Cielo, and The Hale in NoMa — as well as Urby in Navy Yard and The Stacks in Buzzard Point.

OAG uncovered evidence that workers at these sites were illegally misclassified.

More details on the settlement:

Christian Siding cooperated with OAG's investigation and agreed to bring its practices into compliance with the law.

It will pay $364,473 in worker restitution, $360,526 in penalties, and properly classify and pay workers for all its future DC projects.

Fair pay for workers makes DC stronger.

Christian Siding systematically failed to pay prevailing wages at three publicly-funded projects in DC:

🏗️ Terrace Manor in Anacostia (Ward 8)
🏗️ The Appleton in Petworth (Ward 4)
🏗️ The Ethel in Hill East (Ward 7)

Projects that received generous public subsidies illegally underpaid their workers.

Federal and DC law set wage floors for publicly funded construction projects called "prevailing wages."

This ensures projects funded by taxpayers deliver fair pay to workers and their families.

Denying prevailing wages is illegal and deprives the public some of the benefits of their investment.

Christian Siding is a Virginia-based construction company.

From 2021-2024, it illegally misclassified over 200 workers as independent contractors across 16 construction sites.

As a result, workers were denied overtime pay, paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, and workers' comp protections.

Learn more about the STRONG Homes Act:

Tenants living with mold, rodents, no heat, broken locks, or collapsing ceilings in DC cannot afford to wait months.

The STRONG Homes Act will create stronger tools to protect tenants, stabilize properties, ensure public funds are used efficiently, and restore safe and habitable housing.

Court proceedings drag on for months.

Clear evidence of violations is disputed.

Neglectful property owners hide behind LLCs.

Landlords stall cases with abatement plans they never intend to fulfill.

Serious safety and health risks go unaddressed.

And conditions deteriorate even further.

The Tenant Receivership Act is the tool we use for the worst offenders of DC's housing laws.

In recent years, OAG has sought to appoint receivers for Marbury Plaza, Adolphe Edwards, and multiple Sam Razjooyan properties.

But even in these egregious cases, serious obstacles delay justice.

Specifically, the bill addresses gaps in the Tenant Receivership Act.

This is DC's tool of last resort for improving conditions in buildings that fall into serious disrepair.

It allows the Court to appoint a third-party receiver to temporarily take over a neglected property and oversee repairs.