New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced today the kick off of a “Know Your Rights” campaign with labor rights groups, community organizations, the Consulate of Mexico and the Latin American Consulates Coalition to help connect more than 1,000 individuals to over $5 million in unclaimed prevailing wages they are owed. The campaign, coinciding with Labor Rights Week, will include direct community outreach, social media engagement and the distribution of informational flyers in various languages across the City to raise awareness about prevailing wages.
“Here at the Comptroller’s office, we believe that an honest day’s work deserves an honest day’s pay,” Comptroller Stringer said. “Since taking office, we’ve de-barred 35 companies that have cheated workers out of their rightfully-earned wages and recovered millions for hard-working men and women. Today we’re joining with a coalition of partners to help ensure everyone knows their rights about prevailing wages and to send a message that we do not tolerate exploitation of workers, no matter their immigration status.”
Under state law, the Comptroller’s Office sets and enforces prevailing wage and benefit rates on New York City public works projects, such as renovating public schools, or on building service contracts with City agencies, like security guards and custodial work. When companies do not pay the proper wages and benefits, the Comptroller enforces the law to ensure workers receive the money they are owed.
Since 2014, Comptroller Stringer’s Bureau of Labor Law has assessed nearly $18 million in prevailing wage violations and paid more than $8 million to workers who were cheated out of their earnings. In August of 2015, Comptroller Stringer announced a new campaign to help connect workers with prevailing wages that had gone unclaimed which has resulted in 84 workers receiving nearly $600,000 in money they were owed. This includes seven people who eventually received nearly $330,000 as a result of a chance encounter in a taxi cab.
Currently, the Comptroller’s Office is holding more than $5 million in unclaimed prevailing wages for more than 1,000 workers who were underpaid by contractors on City-funded projects. To search a list of names of individuals owed money, please click here.
Since taking office, Comptroller Stringer has debarred 35 contractors due to the egregious nature of their prevailing wage violations. As a result, they are banned from bidding on City and State public works contracts for five years.
The list of debarred contractors includes:
• Decoma Building Corp.
• TM Mechanical corp.
• DeWaters Plumbing & Heating
• Vick Construction
• Colonial Roofing Company
• EF Pro Contracting Inc.
• V & R Contracting
• Aqua Jet Painting Corp.
• Cassidy Excavating Inc.
• Optimum Construction Inc.
• Metro Duct Systems Inc.
• Mackey Reed Electric
• Sphinx Contracting Corp.
• H.N.H. Contractors Corp.
• Craft Fence Inc.
• M. S. Quality LLC
• New American Restoration Inc.
• Brooklyn Welding Corp.
• New York Insulation Inc.
• Traffic Moving Systems Inc.
• North American Iron Works
• Arkay Construction Inc.
• Apco Contracting Corp.
• Astoria General Contracting Corp.
• Reliance General Construction Inc.
• Mountain’s Air Inc.
• Scott Electrical Service LLC
• Astro Communications of NY
• Sublink, LTD
• Mack Glassnauth Iron Works
• MZM Corp.
• Dosanjh Construction Corp.
• New York Rigging Corp.
• CFM Services Corp.
• Beacon Restoration, Inc.
Individuals who believe they may be entitled to unclaimed wages can call the Comptroller’s hotline at (212) 669-4443, email laborlaw@comptroller.nyc.gov,
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