US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties

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US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Calumet City-based residential construction and carpentry employer after two separate investigations into its continued failure to provide fall protection for workers. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated two worksites operated by Martin Araujo – doing business as Araujo Construction Corp. – and found that carpenters and general construction laborers were installing roof rafters and roof sheeting without fall protection, exposing them to falls of up to 25 feet. OSHA cited Araujo Construction with two willful violations for not providing fall protection, while working from heights during residential construction at the two worksites. OSHA also cited the employer with nine repeat safety violations for failing to provide head and eye protection, l...
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US Department of Labor recovers nearly $200K for workers underpaid by Massachusetts subcontractor at Rhode Island worksite

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US Department of Labor recovers nearly $200K for workers underpaid by Massachusetts subcontractor at Rhode Island worksite
BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $199,433 in back wages for 37 workers after finding a Lawrence construction subcontractor failed to pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits to employees working on a federally funded project at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Providence, Rhode Island.The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found Stone Art Inc. failed to pay carpenters, tapers and laborers installing drywall the required prevailing wage rate and fringe benefits required under the Davis-Bacon Act.Investigators also found that Stone Art Inc. falsified certified payroll records, failed to create and maintain accurate payroll and basic records, did not pay proper overtime under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and failed to allow employees to accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked on or in connection with a federally covered contract as required under Executive Order 13706. The back wages recovered by the division resolve the DBA, CWHSSA and Executive Order 13706 violations. In addition, the department has debarred Stone Art Inc. from working on any federal contract that is subject to Executive Order 13706 for three years. “The U.S. Department of Labor has debarred Stone Art Inc. from working on certain federal contracts for three years, specifically for failing to pay proper paid sick leave to employees of certain federal contractors,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Carlos Matos in Boston. “The Wage and Hour Division will not tolerate contractors violating their legal responsibilities under federal law.”Stone Art Inc. is a construction company located in Lawrence and is engaged primarily in fabricating and installing granite and marble counter tops. The back wages that resulted from the settlement of this case were paid by the project’s prime contractor, Carrigg Commercial Builders LLC of Manchester, New Hampshire.The Wage and Hour Division offers numerous resources for employers and workers alike, including information about the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and Executive Order 13706, the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) and webinars that take place throughout the year. Workers and employers can call the division confidentially with questions, regardless of immigration status, and the division can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.Download the agency’s, free Timesheet App for Android and iOS devices, available in English and Spanish, to help track work hours and pay.This press release is also available in Spanish.

Published at March 20, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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