Workers are Fighting Back at Maximus

Last week, CWA filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on behalf of caseworkers in Lawrence, Kan.,​ employed by Maximus, Inc. – a giant government health and human services contractor – alleging that Maximus misclassified them into lower-paying titles that don't reflect their true job duties and skill level. Maximus workers are organizing to join CWA.

Caseworkers serve as troubleshooting experts resolving complicated health insurance cases that require expertise and a high level of skill. Caseworkers' primary duty is to write detailed reports identifying the root causes of snags in the insurance process, and recommending solutions for them – a function not covered by the job classification that Maximus has given them.

Last week, the Topeka Capital-Journal covered the story of a Maximus caseworker, Logan Stinemetz, who says he spent a year trying to obtain a classification appropriate for the work he does. "Several times, I was told that the company 'owned' my job description, so they weren't able to give it to me," Stinemetz said.

Also last week, New York Magazine broke a story about how Maximus has hired a professional union buster to come in and hold captive audience meetings to discourage workers from organizing. The story identified a critical problem at the company: most Maximus workers are paid low wages, and they can't even afford basic health care access, like prescriptions and necessary procedures.

Read more about Maximus' poor track record at https://www.maximusaccountability.org/.