1. Mass. Construction Watch
A publication of the Foundation for Fair Contracting of Massachusetts
Spring 2013 Volume 14, Issue 1
The Year in Fair Sewer Cleaner Cited
Contracting for ‘Dirty Business’
2012 marked another successful year for the Founda- National Water Main Cleaning Company must pay
tion for Fair Contracting of Massachusetts. The FFCM, more than $1 million for intentionally violating Mas-
working in concert with several government enforcement sachusetts’ prevailing wage laws. The Attorney General’s
entities, recoverred nearly $1.3 million in construction office began investigating National Water Main and its
worker back pay and contractor penalties. The year was owner, Salvatore F. Perri, after receiving complaints on
the FFCMs most successful to date. Karen Courtney, behalf of 13 workers from the Foundation for Fair Con-
FFCM executive director, cites a commitment to enforce- tracting. The AG’s investigation, which covered National
ment by the Massachusetts Attorney General as key to Water Main’s work on sewer cleaning, maintenance and
being able to assist so many public construction workers. repair across the Commonwealth, found that the contrac-
“There is a real committment by the AG to ensure that tor violated the prevailing wage law by failing to pay the
the laws covering public construction in Massachusetts legal rate to employees performing multiple tasks.
are enforces,” says Courtney. “That makes our job of as- National Water Main must pay $506,000 in restitu-
sisting public construction workers and contractors that tion to a total of 84 employees who worked on various
much easier.” public construction projects from March 2008 to January
Cases pursued by the FFCM in 2012 resulted in the 2011. The company was also ordered to pay $500,000 in
following citations: penalties for prevailing wage violations and an additional
• BSL Construction agreed to pay a total of $95,848 $50,000 in penalties for ffailing to submit true and accu-
for violating wage and hour laws while working rate payroll records as required under state law.
the District 2 Drainage Reconstruction public “We heard from multiple employees that this contrac-
works project. tor was breaking the law,” FFCM executive director Karen
• National Water Main Cleaning Company and its Courtney says. “Hopefully this case sends a signal to
owner, Salvatore Perry, were ordered to pay a total
of $1,056,062 in civil citations and restitution for ▪
contractors that there’s a real cost to breaking the law.”
failing to submit true and accurate certified pay-
roll records for work performed on various public
works projects in the state. (See related story). New FFMC Website to Aid Construction
• Plumb House and owner, Sarah Badway, must Workers, Contractors
pay a total of $50,507 for failure to pay prevailing
wages for work performed at the Framingham The Foundation for Fair Contracting has a new improved
Housing Authority’s Ten Handicap Unit Conver- website intended to make it easier than ever for contrac-
sion project. tors and construction workers to find out about the laws
2013 is already shaping up to be another busy year, governing public construction in Massachusetts. Visit
says Courtney. “As the economy slowly recovers and www.ffcm.org to find out how the FFCM can assist you in
public construction projects get underway, we’ll be work- navigating state regulations, determining whether you are
ing to ensure that both workers and contractors are fully entitled to back wages or overtime, and helping you to file
aware of the laws that govern public construction in Mas- a claim with the appropriate state agency.
sachusetts.”
▪ Visit us today at www.ffcm.org

2. Volume 4, Number 1
Mass Construction Watch {2}
Spring 2013 Volume 14, Issue 1/ Fall 2012
Union News
Contractor Hall Awarding Authorities
of Shame Step Up to the Plate
The following contractors have been cited, debarred or ▪
Text for awarding authority story here.
ordered to pay settlements by the Attorney General’s office
for violating the state’s wage and hour laws. The FFCM was
involved in each case, helping public construction workers
file claims and get back the money they were owed.
• BSL Construction agreed to pay a total of $95,848
for violating wage and hour laws while working the
District 2 Drainage Reconstruction public works
project.
• Plumb House and owner, Sarah Badway, must pay
a total of $50,507 for failure to pay prevailing wages
for work performed at the Framingham Housing
Authority’s Ten Handicap Unit Conversion project
• Northeast Interior Inc., and its owner, Kevin
Fish, must pay a civil citation and restitution
totaling $35,989 for failure to pay prevailing wages,
failure to submit true and accurate certified pay-
rolls and failure to keep true and accurate payroll
records for work performed on various public
projects across the state.
Know the Rules
• RCI Roofing and its owners, Christopher Tomp-
son and MarkDelisle, must pay a total of $16,389 When it comes to Massachusetts
in civil citations and restitution for failure to pay construction law, keeping track
prevailing wages of the “rules of the road” can be
complicated. The Foundation
• R&J Pelchet Excavating must pay civil citations for Fair Contracting can help.
and restitution totaling $2,528 for failure to pay Our expert field monitors are
prevailing wages and failure to submit true and ac- up-to-date on the various latest
curate certified payroll records for work performed laws and regulations governing public construction
on the Marlboro Retaining Wall project.
in the state. From bidding requirements to certified
• Ellis Painting and its owner, Israel Ellis, must pay
payroll reporting, prevailing wage enforcement and
a civil citation and restitution totaling $2,205 for apprenticeship, our staff can ensure that you’re in the
failure to pay prevailing wages for work performed know. FFCM staff are also available to conduct educa-
on the Crestview Elderly Housing project in New tional trainings on wage compliance and other public
Bedford, MA. construction-related issues Visit our website for more
information: www.ffcm.org or call 1-877-507-3247.
Mass. Construction Watch is a publication of the non-profit Foundation for Fair Contracting of Massa-
chusetts. The FFCM mailing address is Box 256, State House Station, Boston, MA 02133. For more infor-
mation, visit our website at www.ffcm.org or email us at info@ffcm.org.