tagged w/ Unpaid Wages
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AUSTIN, TX - After nearly a year of failed negotiations three construction workers are filing a class action lawsuit for an estimated $120,000 in back wages owed to them and other workers on the job. The workers who performed plaster work at Gables Park Plaza and 21Rio luxury condos say they were regularly shorted on pay and never received overtime - even though they commonly worked 60 or more hours a week. The workers are filing suit under the Fair Labor Standards Act in federal court against the Dallas-based company, Greater Metroplex Interiors (GMI) to recover their wages. GMI hired Capoera Construction to provide workers on the project, but Capoera disappeared after three of the workers were killed in a construction accident.
"We often worked up to 70 hours, six days a week with no rest breaks. We were denied overtime pay and were not paid at all for our final weeks of work. We simply want what is fair, and what we are owed" stated Filimon Salas, a plaintiff who was at the 21 Rio site last summer when three of his co-workers were killed on the job after a faulty scaffold collapse.
The workers in the case decided to file suit after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a settlement with contractors and owners of the buildings. Yet, more than a year later the workers have still not been paid in full for their honest work. "These workers have tried to negotiate in good faith to recover what is legally owed to them, yet no one has wanted to take responsibility for these clear violations of their right to be paid for their work," said Craig Deats, one of the attorney's representing the workers in the case.
Attorneys in the case have filed a class action suit to allow more plaintiffs to join later. According to Deats there appear to be many more employees who worked on these buildings without receiving full wages but who are unaware of or possibly afraid to enforce their rights.
"With Austin construction workers having a one in five chance of not being paid their wages[1], we are not surprised that these violations have occurred," said Patricia Zavala of Workers Defense Project. "However, we believe that builders and contractors can do more to ensure safe and equitable working conditions." Zavala explained that builders have a unique opportunity to ensure that Austin is built sustainably- including for the workforce.
Workers Defense Project is a local organization dedicated to improving working conditions for low-wage workers in construction and other industries. http://workersdefense.org
What: Press Conference Announcing Class Action Lawsuit
When: Tuesday, October 19th 9:15am
Where: Gables Park Plaza 115 Sandra Muraida Way, Austin, TX. 78703.
This is a zgraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.orgAUSTIN, TX - After nearly a year of failed negotiations three construction workers are... more
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Six months after construction workers Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez Camacho and Jesus Angel Lopez Perez fell 11 stories to their deaths while working on 21Rio apartments complex, their co-workers will hold a candlelight vigil in their memory.
The vigil will draw attention to the abysmal working conditions on the 21Rio site, that left three workers dead, and left nearly 2 dozen other co-workers grossly underpaid for their hard work on the site. These workers were denied overtime pay and not paid at all for their final weeks of work at the 21 Rio worksite, after their three co-workers were killed in an accident that is being investigated as a negligent homicide. In all, workers estimate that they are owed over $55,000.00 in back wages on the 21Rio site.
When the subcontractor they worked for disappeared after the accident, German Zaravia and his co-workers advised contractors about the issue but no action was taken to make payment. Since then, Workers Defense Project has attempted to negotiate a fair settlement with contractors and owners of the building.
We did our work, we even risked our lives out there on that worksite. No one should have to die for their job and no one should have to fight just to be paid, says German Zaravia, who is owed $7,000 in back wages and was working on the site the day of the accident. We are holding this vigil because when they died we were too afraid to come forward, but now we want all of Austin to know what we construction workers and our families are suffering.
A recent study by Workers Defense Project and the University of Texas found that Texas leads the nation in construction deaths, with a worker dying every 2.5 days in the state and that construction workers have a one in five chance of not being paid their wages.
Weve seen that employers who are willing to cut corners on safety are also likely to show a complete disregard for workers rights, explains Emily Timm of the Workers Defense Project, a local organization dedicated to improving working conditions for low-wage workers in construction and other industries. Its not a coincidence that wage theft would take place on a worksite that had gross safety violations.
The accident and concurrent employment abuses highlight the need for greater oversight on construction worksites in Austin. In October, the City of Austin passed a resolution requiring city staff to present recommendations for a construction safety program by January 22nd.
On June 10, Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez Camacho and Jesus Angel Lopez Perez fell 11 stories to their deaths when a mast climber scaffolding they were working on failed and broke apart.
OSHA is investigating and is required to release its determination this month. The accident is being investigated by APD as a negligent homicide.Six months after construction workers Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez... more
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Six months after construction workers Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez Camacho and Jesus Angel Lopez Perez fell 11 stories to their deaths while working on 21Rio apartments complex, their co-workers will hold a candlelight vigil in their memory.
The vigil will draw attention to the abysmal working conditions on the 21Rio site, that left three workers dead, and left nearly 2 dozen other co-workers grossly underpaid for their hard work on the site. These workers were denied overtime pay and not paid at all for their final weeks of work at the 21 Rio worksite, after their three co-workers were killed in an accident that is being investigated as a negligent homicide. In all, workers estimate that they are owed over $55,000.00 in back wages on the 21Rio site.
When the subcontractor they worked for disappeared after the accident, German Zaravia and his co-workers advised contractors about the issue but no action was taken to make payment. Since then, Workers Defense Project has attempted to negotiate a fair settlement with contractors and owners of the building.
We did our work, we even risked our lives out there on that worksite. No one should have to die for their job and no one should have to fight just to be paid, says German Zaravia, who is owed $7,000 in back wages and was working on the site the day of the accident. We are holding this vigil because when they died we were too afraid to come forward, but now we want all of Austin to know what we construction workers and our families are suffering.
A recent study by Workers Defense Project and the University of Texas found that Texas leads the nation in construction deaths, with a worker dying every 2.5 days in the state and that construction workers have a one in five chance of not being paid their wages.
Weve seen that employers who are willing to cut corners on safety are also likely to show a complete disregard for workers rights, explains Emily Timm of the Workers Defense Project, a local organization dedicated to improving working conditions for low-wage workers in construction and other industries. Its not a coincidence that wage theft would take place on a worksite that had gross safety violations.
The accident and concurrent employment abuses highlight the need for greater oversight on construction worksites in Austin. In October, the City of Austin passed a resolution requiring city staff to present recommendations for a construction safety program by January 22nd.
On June 10, Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez Camacho and Jesus Angel Lopez Perez fell 11 stories to their deaths when a mast climber scaffolding they were working on failed and broke apart.
OSHA is investigating and is required to release its determination this month. The accident is being investigated by APD as a negligent homicide.Six months after construction workers Wilson Joel Irias Cerritos, Raudel Ramirez... more
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Workers Defense Project and community supporters gathered at the Central Texas Division of Centex Homes in North Austin to demand payment for unpaid wages. A group of four workers report they are owed $2,700 for carpentry work they performed on three homes.
In May of 2009, Marcos Cuevas, Franklin Barahona, Salvador Gamiño, and Santos Arriaza worked for a subcontractor of Centex to perform carpentry work on Centex homes. The subcontractor never paid the four workers nearly $3,000 in wages.
Workers Defense Project has tried to negotiate directly with Centex and their subcontractors for payment, but the homebuilder has refused to pay. Dallas-based Centex merged with Pulte Homes in August 2009 to create the largest homebuilder in the country. Their combined stock is valued at $3.1 billion. Pulte has taken $450 million dollars from taxpayer-funded bailouts.
Workers, advocates and community supporters sent a delegation to the Centex corporate office demanding to pay these workers their hard-earned wages. Homebuilders need to take responsibility for labor practices on their work sites, Stated Selena Fernandez of Workers Defense Project.
The Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) held a community forum bringing together homeowners of Pulte and Centex and the workers who built the homes to discuss how these large homebuilders arent holding up their end of the bargain.
Take Action! Call Centex/Pulte and ask them to make sure these workers are paid for their hard work! (512) 532-3300
Visit: http://www.workersdefense.orgWorkers Defense Project and community supporters gathered at the Central Texas... more
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