Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $44,816 in back wages and benefits for 12 apprentices who were incorrectly classified as laborers by Walker White Inc., a subcontractor on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction project at Fort Jackson.
An investigation conducted by the Wage and Hour Division revealed that Walker White Inc. did not pay the required prevailing wage rates, including basic hourly rates and fringe benefits, as mandated by the Davis-Bacon Act. The investigation also found that the employer failed to pay overtime rates for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, violating the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.
“Contractors and subcontractors working on government projects using taxpayer dollars, grants or other funding, have to understand they must meet high standards and meet certain obligations,” stated Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “Our investigation found that Walker White Inc. was paying workers with specialized pipefitting skills less than generalists that did not possess the same special set of skills.”
Benefiel further emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring employees are paid their rightfully earned wages at legally required rates: “Employers can find government contract compliance assistance information online or can reach out to our experts directly with questions.”
Walker White Inc. was subcontracted by J. Kokolakis Contracting Inc. to perform plumbing and HVAC work under its contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Davis-Bacon Act mandates that contractors and subcontractors on federal government contracts exceeding $2,000 must pay their laborers no less than locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for similar work in the area.
More information about wage laws and compliance assistance is available through the Wage and Hour Division's website or via confidential calls handled in over 200 languages. Additionally, an Android and iOS Timesheet App is available for download to help ensure accurate tracking of hours worked.
