US Department of Labor recovers $77K for 5 employees denied prevailing wages at federally funded construction project in Massachusetts

BOSTON – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered $77,206 in back wages for five workers employed on a federally funded construction project after finding one subcontractor failed to pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits and another submitted falsified payroll records.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that two Massachusetts contractors – Claras Construction Inc. and Westview Building Company Inc. – violated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts while working on a project for the Brookline Housing Authority in 2023. Prime contractor Daniel O’Connell’s Sons Inc. of Holyoke subcontracted to Westview Building Company which, in turn, subcontracted with Claras Construction for framing work.

The department discovered Claras Construction of Malden did not pay the required prevailing wage rate and fringe benefits to its workers and failed to create and maintain accurate payroll records. The department also determined Westview Building Company of Canton falsified certified payroll records for Claras Construction to avoid paying the prevailing wage and fringe benefits.

The division recovered $77,206 in back wages from the prime contractor, Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, which was responsible for ensuring its subcontractors complied with the DBRA’s contract clauses. In addition, the department has barred Claras and Westview from working on future federally funded construction projects for three years.

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