Construction Workers Recover $77K After Being Denied Prevailing Wage

A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered $77,206 in back wages for five workers employed on a federally funded construction project after finding one subcontractor failed to pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits and another submitted falsified payroll records.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that two Massachusetts contractors – Claras Construction Inc. and Westview Building Co. Inc. – violated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts while working on a project for the Brookline Housing Authority in 2023. Prime contractor Daniel O’Connell’s Sons Inc. of Holyoke subcontracted to Westview Building Co. which, in turn, subcontracted with Claras Construction for framing work.

The department reported that it discovered Claras Construction of Malden did not pay the required prevailing wage rate and fringe benefits to its workers and failed to maintain accurate payroll records. The department also determined Westview Building Co. of Canton falsified certified payroll records for Claras Construction to avoid paying the prevailing wage and fringe benefits.

The government agency recovered $77,206 in back wages from the prime contractor, Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, which was responsible for ensuring its subcontractors complied with the DBRA’s contract clauses. In addition, the department has barred Claras and Westview from working on future federally funded construction projects for three years.

Daniel O’Connell’s Sons Inc. is a construction management company that has operated in New England since 1879. About 200 people are employed at its five regional offices in Holyoke and Milford, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; Kingston, New York; and Aventura, Florida.

Source: Department of Labor