Biden joins ironworkers in Upper Marlboro to sign federal labor protections into law

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Joshua Barlow
February 5, 2022, 10:32 PM

President Joe Biden joined union members at Ironworkers Local 5 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where he signed an executive order that gives construction workers new protections for federally contracted projects.

According to the White House, the executive order requires federal construction contracts worth more than $35 million to use project labor agreements.

The order, which goes into effect immediately, will affect an estimated 200,000 union workers in an industry that has taken severe economic hits due to the pandemic.

Project labor agreements (PLA) are legal mechanisms by which the terms and conditions for workers on an individual project are determined. Within the new executive order, any contractor who is awarded a federal contract must co-sign the PLA with any union representing their labor force.

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Iron Workers Union announces $300,000 Wage Theft Settlement for Millennium Reinforcing Workers (CA)

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Ironworkers California & Vicinity District Council
Oct 21, 2019, 13:12 ET

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Millennium Reinforcing Inc. (MRI) has settled a $300,000 class action lawsuit filed by employees of the company with the assistance of the Ironworkers California & Vicinity District Council. All Class Members are current or former hourly non-exempt iron workers employees of MRI who were victims of wage-theft by the company. As of September 23rd, 2019, 73 Class Members for the Perez v. Millennium Reinforcing Settlement case-including the class representatives Angel Leon and Alfredo Perez will receive checks from the settlement.

The Ironworkers Union has been assisting workers at Millennium Reinforcing, a California concrete reinforcing contractor, to improve working conditions at the company. During their struggle, workers stated they were subjected to a number of unjust conditions. Faced with wage violations, poor safety and working conditions, Millennium workers felt their only option was to fight for changes at the company.

Ironworker California & Vicinity District Council President and General Vice President Don Zampa said, “The Ironworkers Union has a long history of helping to improve conditions for all workers in our industry, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, national origin or Union affiliation. We have proudly stood beside the Millennium workers in their struggle for better treatment, pay, safety and working conditions from their employer. We are very satisfied with the outcome of the Settlement and happy our collective efforts have benefited workers for Millennium and their families. We will continue to provide assistance for MRI workers on issues they may bring to us in the future as well.”

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Ironworkers, Welders Recoup $6M in Wages (NY)

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Some 500 ironworkers and welders will receive $6 million in wages and overtime pay improperly withheld by a Queens company. Matthew Chartrand, business manager for Ironworkers Local 361, said the settlement under which AGL Industries has begun paying the workers meant that ‘one of the bad players in the construction field is being brought to justice.’

By: RICHARD KHAVKINE / Aug 19, 2019

A Maspeth, Queens, steel-fabrication company copped to cheating hundreds workers out of overtime pay and wages, and agreed to pay out more than $6 million owed to welders and ironworkers, according to its plea deal with the state Department of Labor following a joint investigation with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

AGL Industries pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny and began paying 499 workers the money owed them with a $1.5-million allocation Aug. 13, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office said.

‘Bad Player’

The balance will be paid over five years in what is the largest single wage recovery in the DOL’s history.

The company also admitted to reporting fraudulent financial information and will settle through a $260,855 payment to the state’s Unemployment Insurance fund, the DA’s office said. A company official, Dominick Lofaso, also pleaded guilty to a class D felony for grand larceny.

Welders and ironworkers had complained to company officials about underpayment but were essentially told “tough,” according to the DA’s office. They then took their grievances to Ironworkers Local 361, in Ozone Park, and the DA’s office in February 2018. A subsequent joint investigation by the DA’s Construction Fraud Task Force and the DOL revealed that the company withheld overtime and other wages from workers during a roughly four-year period starting in November 2013.

Matthew Chartrand, business manager Local 361, hailed the settlement, saying “one of the bad players in the construction field is being brought to justice. Thanks to all-this is a great job for the benefit of workers!”

The DA’s office said the settlement represented a “monumental victory for construction workers,” adding that exploitation of construction workers is widespread despite that trade’s “treacherous” working conditions.

‘Landmark Conviction’

In the statement, DA Vance said the “landmark conviction” would restore “rightful earnings” to the ironworkers and welders. He said the Construction Fraud Task Force has returned about $7.4 million to workers since its creation.

“We are committed to fighting wage theft, which impacts employees across all industries, but is especially common in the construction industry,” he said the statement. He urged workers who believe they have been cheated out of earnings to contact the task force by text message at (646) 712-0298. Messages can be submitted anonymously.

The DOL last year paid about 35,000 workers nearly $35 million it had collected from companies that engaged in wage theft and public-works violations. The department has returned nearly $300 million in stolen wages to 280,000 workers since 2011.

“Wage theft and fraud have no place in New York, and unscrupulous companies who break the law will be held accountable,” Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said in the statement from the DA’s office.

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Unionized Ironworkers Aid Non-Union Jobless

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. –  Proving once again that unionists jump to the aid of all workers – union or not – the Ironworkers are trying to find jobs for 280 non-union colleagues left high and dry without pay when a large non-union Michigan contractor suddenly shut its doors last month.  And the union hopes they’ll eventually become members, too.

The crisis arose when Lamar Construction Co., a large, long-time nonunion contractor headquartered in Hudsonville in west Michigan , abruptly closed July 9, throwing about 280 workers onto the jobless rolls.

Lamar, established in 1938, shut down after a bank cut off its credit line, MLive reported.

The company employed about 170 workers in Michigan and also operated in Kentucky and Colorado.  Lamar’s statement said it would continue operating its structural steel erection business, but nothing else.  That prompted quick offers of help for workers from the Iron Workers International Union and the anti-union Associated Builders and Contractors.

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