Comptroller Stringer Debars Public School Contractor, Assesses $1.1 Million In Prevailing Wage And Benefit Violations & Fines

(New York, NY) – On Friday, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced that he had assessed more than $1.1 million in unpaid prevailing wages and benefits, interest and civil penalties and debarred Astoria General Contracting Corp. from doing work with the City and State for five years related to their underpayment of three Latino immigrant workers who repaired and installed metal rolling doors or gates, grills and fences at various public schools in New York City.

“My office has zero tolerance for unscrupulous contractors who attempt to cheat workers out of their rightfully-owed prevailing wages and benefits,” Comptroller Stringer said. “Paying workers a fair wage is not a choice, it’s the law. Three men are going to get the wages they deserve and another contractor has learned the hard way that we take our enforcement of prevailing wage very seriously.”

The case of the three individuals was originally referred to Comptroller Stringer’s Bureau of Labor Law by the New York City Department of Education. The prevailing wage order was issued in September following an eleven-day trial at the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. At the trial, surveillance video and security and visitors logs were reviewed and it was determined that the firm had falsified certified payroll records by completely omitting two of the employees and reporting payment of prevailing wages and benefits to the third. The Comptroller’s Office determined that Astoria General paid its three employees salaries ranging from $800 to $1500 per week in cash or gross check.

Together with interest and civil penalty, the total violation assessed was over $1.1 million, which includes $735,000 in unpaid prevailing wages and benefits, $191,349 in interest and $231,633 in civil penalties. To date, the Comptroller’s office has collected $226,000 on behalf of the workers by withholding money from Astoria General’s contracts with the City.

Case by case, Comptroller Stringer is laser focused on defending workers’ rights to their earned wages by rooting out waste and fraud, and enforcing prevailing wage laws against contractors who violate New York City and State laws. Since January 2014, Comptroller Stringer’s office has assessed nearly ten million dollars in unpaid wages and interest and over one million dollars in penalty money against private contractors that violated New York’s Labor Law. The Bureau has also debarred over twenty-five contractors for egregious conduct.

In addition, since announcing in August that his office held $3.7 million dollars in unclaimed prevailing wages and benefits to workers, 21 individuals have submitted proof of claim forms of which 13 have been paid nearly $158,000 in unpaid wages plus interest.

The Comptroller’s office continues to search for workers who have failed to claim their prevailing wage awards. All inquiries are confidential.

To find out more:

• Visit the Comptroller’ website: www.comptroller.nyc.gov/prevailingwage
• Email Bureau of Labor Law: laborlaw@comptroller.nyc.gov
• Call the Comptroller’s Bureau of Labor Law: 212-669-4443
• Watch the video below:

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