A Connecticut labor-pay watchdog demands the state investigate an Alabama contractor who allegedly hired Hartford halfway house residents to shovel snow off roofs of three schools in Lebanon and left town taxpayers to foot a $300,000 bill.
The Labor Management Foundation For Fair Contracting Of Connecticut says it has appealed to the state Labor Department to investigate SG&S Industrial Constructors Inc., in what it calls an “exploitation of Connecticut workers and taxpayers.”
The foundation says SG&S allegedly paid 30 to 40 halfway house residents $8.25 per hour each to shovel snow off the roofs of several schools in Lebanon, while charging each worker $12 to be transported to each job site.
SG&S then charged the school system $150 per hour for each worker’s labor, and billed the town of Lebanon a total of $300,000 for the job, the foundation said.
The foundation tracks cases of alleged Connecticut worker mistreatment.
“It seems like everybody dropped the ball in this situation in protecting the workers, taxpayers and even our school children — the halfway house officials, school officials and the superintendents,” said James Duffy, director of the Labor Management Foundation For Fair Contracting Of Connecticut. “No quotes or agreements supposedly were provided for the work and school officials seemed surprised by the final invoice.”
A labor department spokeswoman said when the foundation contacted them about the issue, the organization was referred to the state consumer protection department.
The spokeswoman said the labor agency didn’t get involved because there was no evidence that workers were not paid.
A spokesman for Attorney General George Jepsen said his office reviewed the Lebanon snow removal contract for possible price gouging and did not find evidence that any occurred.
Officials for SG&S did not immediately return a phone call from HBJ Today for comment.
Lebanon’s first selectman’s office referred queries to Lebanon school superintendent Janet Tyler, who did not immediately return a phone call.
