A local contractor could face up to 7 years in prison for violating wage laws on public work projects. Contractors are legally obligated to file certified payrolls, including information about who performed the work, and how much the employee was paid in wages and benefits. 62-year-old Charles Zimmer, a road construction contractor, worked on projects in and around Binghamton, including one at the Greater Binghamton Airport. He is accused of not paying the prevailing rate of pay set by the Department of Labor on any of his public projects. He also allegedly failed to list all the workers at several job sites when he filed the payroll with the Department of Labor. Failure to pay workers the set wages on these projects can constitute larceny under New York law. State Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner says, “Our prevailing wage laws insure that workers on pubic work projects receive a fair wage. They also make sure that taxpayers have skilled workers on public work projects. Employers who don't pay prevailing wages profit unfairly by not properly paying their workers and cheating the taxpayers. And, they often undercut honest businesses in the bidding process for public work projects. Zimmer, of Cayuta Avenue in Waverly, is charged with grand larceny and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing.
Local Contractor Charged with Violating Prevailing Wage Laws
/ Source: NewsChannel34.Com