July 14, 2015
By Neal Tepel
New York, NY – Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced the resolution of an investigation into non-payment of wages by Stonehenge Restoration Inc. on construction projects located in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The agreement requires Stonehenge to pay back wages and liquidated damages totaling $76,429.81.
"The most basic right as a worker is to be paid for your labor," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "Hard working New Yorkers deserve to be treated fairly and my office will continue to hold companies accountable when they fail to pay wages to their employees."
New York State law requires that all employees on private construction jobs be paid for all hours worked within seven days of the workweek when their wages are earned. Between January 2014 and March 2015, Stonehenge failed to pay any wages to 21 workers for construction work performed at private job sites in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The workers were not paid for periods of work ranging from 2 to 6 weeks. While two employees are owed approximately $6,000.00, the majority of the workers are owed between $2,500.00 and $4,000.0 in unpaid wages. In addition to paying restitution, Stonehenge must designate an internal monitor and submit compliance reports to the Attorney General’s Office.
“Unfortunately wage theft is a problem that is running rampart throughout the construction industry," said Robert Bonanza, Business Manager of the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York. "Hard working men and women expect nothing more than a fair day’s pay for a fair’s day’s work. Once again Attorney General Scheinderman and his office have sent a message loud and clear – wage theft will not be tolerated in New York.”
