Honolulu Electrical Contractor Ordered to Pay US$1.2M in Back Wages

An electrical contractor doing work on a Marine Corps base in Honolulu must pay 38 electricians and technicians more than US$1.2 million in back wages and is barred from doing work for the federal government for three years after investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor determined that the company did not pay required prevailing wages to workers at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

According to a report from Pacific Business News, The division also found the employer submitted falsified payrolls and told workers to provide false information to investigators.Lighting Services paid rates significantly below required wage rates, sometimes more than $20 less than proper rates.

“An employer cannot reduce its labour costs by underpaying workers the required wage standards in a federally funded construction contract,” said Terence Trotter, the Hawaii division district director, in a statement. “Just as standards of quality must be met on completed electrical work, employers must also adhere to federal standards that safeguard the electricians’ pay and working conditions.”