Mississippi News
Maximus workers strike in Hattiesburg
More than 200 Maximus call center workers strike in Hattiesburg, demand better working conditions
HATTIESBURG — Seconds after Tiffany Murray says she was sexually harassed by a man who dialed 1-800-Medicare, she was supposed to be ready for the next caller.
Murray, 37, said she didn’t have the time to collect herself after the first time he called. Or when he called again the next day.
He wanted to know how she looked in stockings, Murray recalled. He called her slurs. She said she heard him pleasuring himself on the other end.
“I had no time to recover from that,” she told Mississippi Today. “There is no time in between.”
Because when one call ends, another one is almost always waiting – no matter how cruel or inappropriate the previous customer was, according to Maximus call center workers who spoke with Mississippi Today.
Murray is one of hundreds of federally contracted workers employed by Maximus’ Hattiesburg office. She was also one of more than 200 workers who went on strike outside of the call center Tuesday. It was the fourth strike Maximus workers have held since the beginning of the year. Workers spent the morning calling for $25-an-hour pay, more support from supervisors, and better protection from abusive callers.
Tuesday marked the start of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, which is one of the main agencies for which Maximus workers take customer calls. That means workers are entering their busiest time of the year managing 50 to 100 callers or more a day.
Calls can last a few minutes or more than an hour.
“We are never supposed to just hang up on people,” Murray said, referring to abusive callers. “We have to make a continued effort to give them a chance to correct their behavior.”
Murray and other workers said they are directed to give three warnings before hanging up – something Maxius said in a statement is not required.
Murray said when she reported the man who was sexually inappropriate, her supervisor didn’t react. In a statement, Maximus said workers can end a call “immediately” if a caller is “persistently inappropriate or obscene.”
Workers want up to 30 minutes they can use over an eight-hour shift to take short breaks between calls – time to collect their thoughts, recover from an abusive caller, or take notes about a particular incident.
Maximus says its break schedule has enough flexibility as is: Workers are given two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch.
“Maximus respects the dignity and wellbeing of our employees,” the company said in its statement. “While we haven’t seen evidence of a growing trend in abusive or obscene calls, we have a very clear Standard Operating Procedure to protect our employees when we occasionally receive such calls.”
Maximus workers are not formally unionized but have been organizing on and off for the last several years. Efforts peaked this year, with Tuesday’s strike being their highest attended so far.
Keaira Mark, 23, is looking for a second job because her rent is about to go up $100 a month. The Hattiesburg resident has been working at Maximus for almost three years, handling phone calls for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“If I miss even an hour of work (at Maximus), I’d be this close to missing rent and risk being evicted,” Mark said, while holding her pointer finger and thumb barely an inch apart.
She is seeking out a part-time food delivery job to supplement her income so she has at least a small cushion.
“I wish I could focus on bettering my career,” she said, “but I’m just trying to find another job to pay the bills.”
About 650 workers handed in pledges to strike across four Maximus locations Tuesday, according to the Call Center Workers of America union. Half of them signed in to strike in Hattiesburg, according to the union. Workers met outside the call center off Highway 49 to march at 8 a.m. before gathering near the office’s parking lot.
Some workers chanted from nearby parking lots, keeping guard of their vehicles as tow trucks lurked. One car was towed from the Maximus parking lot, dragged across the pavement in front of a wall of protestors dressed in red.
Workers have already had some success in pushing the company to lower health care deductibles – though most are still calling for better coverage.
“Maximus welcomes the opportunity to work directly with our employees and discuss and hopefully resolve their concerns,” the company said in a statement. “Over the past several years, Maximus has improved pay and compensation, reduced employees’ out-of-pocket health care expenses and improved work processes and safety. We continue to look for ways to assure that Maximus is an employer of choice.”
During the height of the pandemic, their hourly pay was bumped to $15 an hour. The pay hike came into effect just before President Joe Biden’s executive order required all federally contracted workers to be paid at that rate.
Workers say their job requires a set of skills deserving of a wage increase. Workers are regularly helping callers navigate complex government programs such as Medicare and the health insurance marketplace. They say they deserve wages that more closely match those of federal employees who aren’t working for contract companies – especially as inflation continues to push up the cost of living.
Energy was high Tuesday. Even workers who didn’t strike drove by honking their horns in support.
Murray, the Medicare line worker, strolled around the gathered group with a portable microphone and speaker on wheels, hyping up coworkers. She encouraged them to share their own stories by chanting “let’s talk about it.”
“We want change,” Murray bellowed into her mic. “And we don’t mean pennies.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination believed to have acted alone, says Utah governor
SUMMARY: Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested for the targeted assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah. Authorities said Robinson had expressed opposition to Kirk’s views and indicated responsibility after the shooting. The attack occurred during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot once from a rooftop and later died in hospital. Engravings on bullets and chat messages helped link Robinson to the crime, which was captured on grim video. The killing sparked bipartisan condemnation amid rising political violence. President Trump announced Robinson’s arrest and plans to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The post Suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination believed to have acted alone, says Utah governor appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies
SUMMARY: On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, solemn ceremonies were held in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville to honor nearly 3,000 victims. Families shared personal remembrances, emphasizing ongoing grief and the importance of remembrance. Vice President JD Vance postponed his attendance to visit a recently assassinated activist’s family, adding tension to the day. President Trump spoke at the Pentagon, pledging never to forget and awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. The attacks’ global impact reshaped U.S. policy, leading to wars and extensive health care costs for victims. Efforts continue to finalize legal proceedings against the alleged plot mastermind.
The post Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Hunt for Charlie Kirk assassin continues, high-powered rifle recovered
SUMMARY: Charlie Kirk, conservative influencer and Turning Point USA founder, was fatally shot by a sniper during a speech at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. The shooter, believed to be a college-aged individual who fired from a rooftop, escaped after the attack. Authorities recovered a high-powered rifle and are reviewing video footage but have not identified the suspect. The shooting highlighted growing political violence in the U.S. and sparked bipartisan condemnation. Kirk, a Trump ally, was praised by political leaders, including Trump, who called him a “martyr for truth.” The university was closed and security heightened following the incident.
The post Hunt for Charlie Kirk assassin continues, high-powered rifle recovered appeared first on www.wjtv.com
-
News from the South - Alabama News Feed7 days ago
Alabama lawmaker revives bill to allow chaplains in public schools
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
‘One Pill Can Kill’ program aims to reduce opioid drug overdose
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
Arkansas’s morning headlines | Sept. 9, 2025
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed6 days ago
Pulaski County town faces scrutiny after fatal overdose
-
News from the South - Texas News Feed7 days ago
‘Resilience and hope’ in Galveston: 125 years after greatest storm in US history | Texas
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed6 days ago
Group in lawsuit say Franklin county prison land was bought before it was inspected
-
News from the South - Kentucky News Feed5 days ago
Lexington man accused of carjacking, firing gun during police chase faces federal firearm charge
-
The Center Square6 days ago
California mother says daughter killed herself after being transitioned by school | California