NJ Labor Department Returns $170,000 in Back Wages to Laborers and Carpenters After Investigation into Trenton Construction Project

TRENTON – Ten New Jersey laborers will be paid $170,000 in back wages after investigators found Tri County Real Estate Co. did not pay workers the legally required prevailing wage on a construction project at the Trenton East/West Senior Apartments.

“Public contracting is not a right – it is a privilege,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We want all employers to know that our department takes the state’s prevailing wage laws seriously, and we will continue to investigate these matters to protect our taxpayers’ investments.”

The construction project received State Economic Redevelopment and Growth Tax Credit Incentive grant funding, and was therefore subject to New Jersey’s prevailing wage laws.

The New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq.) establishes wage levels for workers engaged in public works projects to protect workers, promote workforce development and prevent unfair competition for labor. In New Jersey, these rates vary by county and building trade.

The initial complaint was referred to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) by the state’s federal partners at the U.S. Department of Labor.

As part of the settlement agreement, the company agreed to pay back wages due to employees, and pay $30,000 in administrative fees and penalties.

For more information on New Jersey’s wage and hour laws, please visit myworkrights.nj.gov.

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