Business & Tech
Subcontractor Ordered To Pay Back $160k In Stolen Wages
The subcontractor for Worcester's new luxury apartments at 145 Front Street will have to pay almost $160k to 50 employees.
WORCESTER, MA- A subcontractor has to pay $158,000 in back pay to 50 employees on the 145 Front Street development in Worcester after a determination announced by the U.S. Department of Labor Wednesday.
The subcontractor is P&B Partitions, a New Jersey company hired by the general contractor, Erland Construction, for the luxury apartment building owned by Mack-Cali. The company was found to have skimped on overtime pay, giving employees straight time in cash.
An investigation into the wage theft began in April 2017 when the Worcester Carpenter's Union filed a complaint. What started as five carpenters, grew to a group of 12 signed complaints, the union said, adding that all of the wage theft victims were people of color, primarily Latino.
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David Minasian, Business Manager for Carpenters Local 336, called the determination a loud warning bell for city and state leaders. "The wage theft business model perpetuates itself because it is profitable. We were concerned when Erland was selected to build the project, and worried when we heard they were going to hire P&B Partitions with a history of avoiding wage and hour laws,” Minasian said.
The union held weekly rallies for months to support the workers and raise awareness about wage theft. In April, 2018, the National Labor Relations Board awarded one of the carpenters that stepped forward $15,000 in back wages, after the union said he was unlawfully terminated for trying to improve the working conditions and beginning efforts to organize the carpenters.
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P&B Partitions declined to comment when Patch contacted them Wednesday.
The $90 million project brought luxury apartments to Worcester's downtown at 145 Front Street.
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Photo Credit: Worcester Carpenter's Union
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