Fitchburg Construction Companies Required to Pay Over $290,000 for Not Properly Paying Employees

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.gsmlaborcouncil.org/node/7271

Companies Also Failed to Properly Keep Payroll Records

BOSTON – Two Fitchburg construction companies and their owners are required to pay over $290,000 in restitution and penalties for non-payment of wages, failure to pay the prevailing wage, and record keeping violations, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced today.

“The owners of these companies failed to properly pay their employees on thirty public construction projects,” AG Coakley said. “At a time when many workers and families are struggling to make ends meet, employers should not deny their employees any of their hard earned wages.”

G.R. Construction Corporation, a construction company owned by Richard Rama, age 33, of Fitchburg, and his wife Gabriella Rama, age 47, was cited more than $254,000. Another construction company owned by Richard Rama, Rama Construction Corporation, was cited more than $36,000.

The AG’s Fair Labor Division received a complaint alleging that G.R. Construction and Rama Construction failed to pay wages, overtime and the prevailing wage to 21 employees on 30 public works construction projects in Massachusetts. Investigators determined that G.R. Construction and the Ramas failed to pay wages, failed to pay the prevailing wage, failed to maintain true and accurate payroll records, and failed to submit certified payroll records to the awarding authority for the construction projects. Investigators also discovered that they intentionally failed to pay overtime to employees and intentionally failed to submit certified payroll records and general payroll records to the Attorney General’s Office for inspection. As a result of the investigation, the Attorney General’s Office cited G.R. Construction and Ramas $181,541.63 in restitution and a penalty of $72,500.

FULL story at link.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. I'm glad I live in Mass

Workers have a shot at making it here.

In many other states, the AG would have gone after the workers instead.