Washington Contractor Fined $300K for Wage Violations

A Vancouver, Washington contractor was found to owe $201,223 in wages and interest to 20 employees on construction projects at four area schools.

The contractor, 360 Sheetmetal LLC, and owner Beverley Martin, were also found to owe more than $115,000 in penalties for failure to pay prevailing wage and file required reports when working on public projects.

In one case, workers were reportedly paid minimum wage, $13.50 per hour at the time, when they should have been paid $62.52 per hour for the specialized fabricated ductwork.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries recently filed the penalties against the company. The investigation began in 2020, following complaints from Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 16 in Portland, Oregon. The investigation included an analysis of whether the work required prevailing wages, review of pay stubs and an audit of each project.

The company reportedly didn’t respond to letters sent last fall informing them of the requirements to pay workers appropriately.

As a result of the investigation, L&I issued notices of violation on four projects, including:

• Legacy High School, Transitions, and 49th Street Academy, Evergreen School District (ESD) 114
• ES 22 Elementary School, ESD 114
• Ellsworth Elementary School, ESD 114
• MLK Jr. Elementary School replacement, Vancouver School District 37

Contractors and subcontractors are legally required to file reports when working on a public project to increase accountability and ensure prevailing wages are paid on taxpayer-funded job sites. The reports include confirmation of intent to pay prevailing wage, affidavits of wages paid and certified payrolls.

According to L&I, 360 Sheetmetal ignored these requirements, leading to increased penalties in each of the four cases.

The company has appealed the citations. The matter is set to go before the Office of Administrative Hearings at a future date.

Topics Washington Contractors