New York, NY – The New York City District Council of Carpenters rallied against tax fraud as part of the annual National Tax Fraud Days of Action spearheaded by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Joined by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, union carpenters stood up for workers’ rights by demanding accountability from immoral contractors committing tax fraud.
“Tax fraud costs our state billions in revenue and steals New Yorkers’ livelihoods. Greedy contractors who cheat the system and steal wages out of workers’ mouths have no place in our state,”Lander said. “I’m proud to stand with the union carpenters to stand up for workers’ rights and put an end to tax fraud for good.”
Tax fraud is an epidemic in the construction industry, and it is costing communities billions of dollars in lost revenue. Research by the Institute for Construction Economic Research (ICERES) finds that payroll and tax fraud costs New Yorkers more than $1 billion annually. Construction tax fraud frequently goes hand-in-hand with wage theft, with unscrupulous contractors stealing over$946 million annually from construction workers nationwide.
Joe Geiger, secretary-treasurer for the New York District Council of Carpenters, said he is proud of the union’s ongoing fight to protect the rights of working people throughout New York and stop cheating contractors from evading their fair share of federal and state taxes.
“Our strong turn out during the Tax Fraud Day of Action Rally is representative of our union’s collective effort to put an end to tax fraud for good,” he said. “Our union helped secure a huge victory with the General Contractor Liability Law, but the fight against wage theft and tax fraud is far from over and this rally is a critical step toward a better future for construction workers everywhere. I’m grateful to the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander for his continued support of important carpenter issues like tax fraud.The rally was part of the union’s ongoing effort to protect workers’ rights by combatting tax fraud in the construction industry. Just last year, the union helped secure a huge victory for workers when the General Contractor Liability Law was passed and signed by the Governor on Labor Day. The law eliminates loopholes that allowed general contractors to deny responsibility for offenses committed by subcontractors and give state prosecutors more power to hold contractors accountable.”
