04/08/2026
To my DC Residents + Constituents, Bowser,
, District Department of Public Works (DPW), Fellow Haulers & Small Business Contractors and Workers / Drivers
January 23, 2026 Muriel Bowser, The Mayor of Washington DC declared a State of Emergency for the District of Columbia Snow Emergency and as of today 4/7/26 we have NOT BEEN PAID!
In fact, The contractors received official communication regarding Snow Event #7 from the District.
They are attempting to reduce payments based on a 14-hour driving limit from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines.
Here’s the issue: They quoted the rule, but left out the part that matters most.
DURING A DECLARED EMERGENCY: Under federal law (49 CFR § 390.23), Hours-of-Service limits are suspended for drivers providing direct emergency assistance.
LET’S BE CLEAR
We were:
• Dispatched during emergency operations
• Working in real-time response
• Never told to stop at 14 hours
• Never told our pay would be capped
But now…
AFTER the work is done
AFTER the roads are cleared
They want to go back and reduce hours.
THIS IS THE REAL QUESTION
If the rule applied…
Why weren’t we told during the emergency?
Why were we allowed to continue working?
THIS AFFECTS MORE THAN ONE COMPANY
This impacts:
• Drivers who already worked the hours
• Small businesses who already paid their teams
• The future of emergency response participation
Because if this becomes the norm…Who answers the call next time?
WE’RE NOT ASKING FOR EXTRA
We’re asking for:
FULL PAYMENT FOR WORK THAT WAS REQUESTED AND COMPLETED
THIS IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
You can’t:
Call it emergency work when you need us
and redefine it when it’s time to pay us.
