Nov
2012 8
2012 8
Mexican and Guatemalan Workers Win $11.8 Million Settlement in Georgia H-2B Case
A federal court has issued a record $11.8 million dollar award to 4,000 foreign guest workers who were employed by a Georgia forestry company in 2005. The guest workers came from Mexico and Guatemala on H-2B visas. Once lured to plant pine seedlings, the workers found that they would not be reimbursed for their travel ...
Nov
2012 7
2012 7
Judge Upholds DE Dept. of Labor Decision, SimplexGrinnell Held to $5.5M Prevailing Wage Settlement
In Delaware, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit by SimplexGrinnell that looked to halt the DE Department of Labor’s enforcement of the prevailing wage. The company, which supplies alarm and detection systems to both private customers and government agencies, was ordered to pay $5,525,000 in back wages to its employees after the DOL’s...
Nov
2012 7
2012 7
Workers at 128 Northern California Supermarkets Are On Strike
Union employees at 128 Northern California supermarkets have decided to strike after 15 months of negotiations came to a stall early Sunday morning. The two sides met in San Francisco but the union refused to make concessions to their health care benefits. The negotiation deadline had been previously extended by a federal mediator. Mike Henneberry...
Nov
2012 7
2012 7
Prevailing Wage Dispute Propels Cincinnati City Council to Look at Irresponsible Contracting
In an interesting break from bureaucratic business as usual, the City Council of Cincinnati has used an incident in which subcontractors were not paying the prevailing wage to spark a conversation about how the city can better monitor city-funded projects. It’s a classic case: a prime contractor on a large project hired a subcontractor who ...
Oct
2012 31
2012 31
$3.7M Sound Transit Back Pay Ruling Shows Even the Most Acclaimed Projects Experience Wage Dilemmas
In Washington, 328 workers who helped cast concrete bridge pieces for the acclaimed Sound Transit elevated light-rail line have been awarded $3.7 million in back pay. The workers were employed by Bethlehem Construction between 2005-2007 but were not paid the proper prevailing wage. Throughout the existence of Sound Transit, board members have...
Oct
2012 31
2012 31
Filipino Woman Who Was Forced into Low Wage Under H-1B Visa Wins $300,000 in Back Wages
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a T-visa to a Filipino accountant who came to the U.S. on a H-1B visa and eventually became a victim of human trafficking. Jacqueline Aguirre was hired as a staff accountant at Best Care Agency in Floral Park under the H-1B visa program that allows ...
Oct
2012 26
2012 26
APPEALS COURT: Workers Can Collect Unpaid Prevailing Wages Under False Claims Act
UPDATE: Circle C’s contract was actually with the Army in this case… An interesting ruling out of the Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will allow workers being cheated out of prevailing wages to go after back wages via the False Claims Act (FCA). While the Davis-Bacon act ensures prevailing wages are paid ...
Oct
2012 25
2012 25
Illinois Contractor Who Forced Employees into a Kickback Scheme and Dodged Prevailing Wages Freed on $100,000 Bond Ahead of Arraignment Today
North Suburban Asphalt Maintenance, an Illinois contractor which forced its employees to participate in a kickback scheme while dodging the prevailing wage, has been formally charged with defrauding several north Chicago suburban communities of $400,000. According to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, “The contractor’s kickback...
Oct
2012 25
2012 25
Denver Child Care Provider Ordered to Pay $41,000 of Back Wages to 354 Misclassified Employees
A Denver child care provider, Crème de la Crème, has been cited by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division for misclassifying employees as independent contractors. The WHD found systematic labor violations at 21 child care centers in eight states and ordered the company to pay more than $41,000 in back wages to 354 ...
Oct
2012 23
2012 23
New Jersey Bill to End Misclassification of Truckers Passes Through Committee
In New Jersey, the Assembly Labor Committee has voted 6-3 to move forward with legislation that would force businesses to classify truck drivers as employees, not independent contractors, in an attempt to prevent employee misclassification. The bill (A-1578) was sponsored by Assembly Democrats John Wisniewski, Vincent Prieto, Thomas P. Giblin and...
Oct
2012 22
2012 22
Waste Management of Massachusetts Ordered to Pay 56 Workers a $376,000 Settlement
Waste Management of Massachusetts has been ordered to pay $376,000 to settle wage violations that occurred between June 2008 and June 2011. During that time the company did not properly pay 56 workers under prevailing wage laws according to MA Attorney General Martha Coakley. The affected workers were charged for health care coverage that they ...
Oct
2012 19
2012 19
NYC Comptroller Launches Website to Help Undocumented Workers Claim Back Wages Without Fear of Deportation
New York City Comptroller John Liu has announced the launch of a website to help 723 workers who have not claimed back wages owed to them under prevailing wage laws. A total of $2 million remains uncollected and much of it is for Latino workers who fear that trying to collect will expose them to ...
