NH Subcontractor Underpaid Dozens Of Employees At Natick Worksite

NATICK, MA — A New Hampshire subcontractor underpaid dozens of workers during a federally funded project in Natick, the United States Department of Labor announced.

The Department of Labor recovered $518,446 in back wages for 54 workers after finding a New Hampshire subcontractor, Ecostructive LLC, did not pay prevailing wage and fringe benefits to construction workers on a federally funded project at the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick.

"The department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Ecostructive violated the Davis-Bacon Act by failing to pay employees the required wage rate and benefits. The division also discovered the Nashua-based employer falsified certified payroll records and had not created and maintained accurate payroll and basic records, failed to pay proper overtime as the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires and did not allow employees to accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked on or in connection with a federally covered contract, as Executive Order 13706 requires," a news release said.

The division’s settlement resolves Ecostructive Pro Builders’ DBA, CWHSSA and Executive Order 13706 violations. Given the employer’s Davis-Bacon Act infractions, the department has debarred the employer from working on any federal contract for three years.

“By obtaining debarment of Ecostructive Pro Builders from federal contracts for three years, the U.S. Department of Labor has taken a strong stance against the employer’s failure to provide employees with the prevailing wages and benefits as the laws require,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Carlos Matos in Boston. “The Wage and Hour Division will not tolerate any contractors who falsify certified payroll records and will hold them accountable. Strong enforcement of prevailing wage requirements ensures that federal investments result in the creation of good jobs.”

Ecostructive Pro Builders is a construction company engaged primarily in drywall installation. The Natick project’s prime contractor, CTA Construction Manager LLC of Waltham paid the back wages specified in this case’s administrative settlement.