Press Release  Ludlow Contractor Agrees to Pay More Than $27,000 for Violating State Prevailing Wage Law

Boston — A Ludlow contractor has agreed to pay more than $27,000 in restitution and penalties for violating the Massachusetts prevailing wage law, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

SSR Construction, Inc. and its owner Peter Slivka accepted two civil citations and agreed to pay $27,387.20 in restitution and penalties to resolve allegations that they were not paying their workers the required prevailing wage rate and failed to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to the awarding authority on a weekly basis. 

“Contractors working on public projects must pay their workers a fair wage,” said AG Healey. “The prevailing wage law protects workers and we will continue to enforce the law and hold accountable companies who fail to adequately compensate their workers.”

The AG’s Fair Labor Division began an investigation in January 2014 after receiving a complaint that Slivka and SSR Construction were not paying its workers the required prevailing wage rate. The investigation revealed that between Sept. 4, 2013 and Dec. 6, 2013, SSR Construction performed work on a project to renovate the City Hall in Westfield and failed to pay its workers the correct prevailing wage rate. It also failed to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to the awarding authority on a weekly basis. 

Through the settlement with the AG’s Office, four employees will receive restitution payments. 

Under the Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law, contractors and subcontractors engaged in public construction projects must pay their employees a special minimum wage. The required wage rate is based on the occupational classification for the type of work the employees perform. Employers may take deductions from employees’ prevailing wages to pay for contributions to certain bona fide benefit plans, including retirement plans such as 401(k) plans.

The law also requires that contractors and subcontractors working on public construction projects to submit true and accurate certified payroll records to the awarding authority on a weekly basis. These records must contain the employees’ identities, their hourly rates of pay, the job classifications of the work performed, and information about deductions taken from their pay.

The AG’s Fair Labor Division is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage and overtime laws. Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state's wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General's Workplace Rights website www.massworkrights.com.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Barbara Dillon DeSouza and was investigated by Inspector Brian Davies, both of AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division in the Western Massachusetts Regional Office.

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