Company Hired for Work at Mansfield School Cited for Workers' Pay

MANSFIELD, MA — A Lawrence company that worked on a project in Mansfield must pay over $300,000 for intentionally failing to pay the proper prevailing wage rate or overtime to its employee.

The state's Attorney General's office announce Thursday that MJ Environmental, Inc. and its owner Jose I. Pena have been cited for for failing to pay prevailing wage (subsequent violation), failing to pay overtime, and failing to submit true and accurate weekly certified payroll records to the awarding authorities (subsequent violation).

“This employer received public funds to remove asbestos from elementary schools and other public buildings, but failed to follow the law and pay workers properly,” Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement. “We need to ensure that this critical work, to safely remove dangerous asbestos, is done by responsible, law-abiding companies.”

The company failed to give their employees a proper wage on 19 projects, including one at Robinson Elementary School in Mansfield. The combined value of the contracts is over $1.9 million, according to the AG's office.

The AG’s investigation determined that between June 2012 and January 2014, MJ Environmental failed to pay the proper prevailing wage rate to 62 workers. According to the certified payroll records and project records produced by Pena, the workers were classified as hazardous waste/asbestos removers, but they were not actually paid at the proper rate for that classification.

A total of 65 workers were impacted by the violations. Pena and the company were cited $318,715 in total restitution and penalties, the AG's office said.

Image via Mansfield Public Schools