Office of the Attorney General: Rhode Island Company Cited for Violating Prevailing Wage Laws at Falmouth Public Construction Project

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

June 13, 2008

NEW BEDFORD – This week, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office issued a civil citation against Richard S. Crowley, age 58, of Lincoln, Rhode Island, and his company, AAA Sprinkler Co., Inc. (AAA Sprinkler), located in Warwick, Rhode Island, for failing to properly pay employees according to the state’s Prevailing Wage Laws. The Attorney General’s citation requires the company to pay $5,000 in penalties and $13, 079 in restitution to the affected employees.

The Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division began an investigation in October 2007 after receiving information that employees were not being properly paid at a public construction project in Falmouth. Investigators discovered that between July 2007 through March 2008, employees for AAA Sprinkler did work on the Falmouth Public Library. During that time, investigators discovered that the company failed to pay the state ’s prevailing wage rate to six employees. During the course of the investigation, an inspector from the Attorney General’s Office determined that the employees were classified and paid as sprinkler fitter apprentices, but were not registered with the Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Training. As a result, Richard Crowley and his company were ordered to pay restitution to the affected employees as well as a penalty.

The Prevailing Wage Laws apply to all construction work performed on public works projects in Massachusetts. These laws allow all contractors bidding on public works projects to enjoy a “level playing field” by standardizing the rate of pay the workers will earn. A company’s failure to pay its employees the state prevailing wage for work performed at a public construction site can result in either civil or criminal penalties against the company and its owner.

Workers who believe they may have been misclassified or not paid the appropriate wages, whether on a public or private job, are encouraged to call the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465.

The matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Anita Maietta and Inspector Celina Dias Pendexter, both of Attorney General Coakley’s Fair Labor Division.