Virginia Drywall Company Cited $10,000 For Violating Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law

Boston, MA (CompNewsNetwork) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office has issued a civil citation against a Richmond, Virginia, drywall company and its owner for violating the Massachusetts Independent Contractor/Misclassification Law.  Cesar O. Pinto-Garcia, age 29, of Richmond, Virginia, and his company Pinto's Drywall Construction, LLC (Pinto's Drywall), were each cited for misclassifying 17 employees as independent contractors.  Pinto-Garcia and his company were ordered to pay $10,000 in civil penalties for the violations.

In July 2008, the Attorney General's Office received a referral from the Governor's Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy and Employee Misclassification alleging that Pinto's Drywall was misclassifying employees as independent contractors at the Bluebird Estates construction project in East Longmeadow, MA.  Investigators from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division conducted an investigation and discovered that between May 2008 and September 2008, the company had misclassified seventeen employees as independent contractors.

The Attorney General's Office is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating the payment of wages laws, overtime and misclassification of employees in the Commonwealth.  Workers who believe they have been misclassified or that their rights have been violated are strongly urged to call the Attorney General's Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or the Joint Task Force referral line toll-free at 1-(877) 96-LABOR.  More information about the wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General's Workplace Rights website: www.massworkrights.com.  Additional information about the Joint Task Force's efforts to combat workplace fraud can be found at www.mass.gov/dol/labortaskforce.

The Joint Task Force, chaired by Director of Labor George Noel, includes the Attorney General's Office and 16 other state agencies.  The Task Force works cooperatively to share information about allegations of workplace fraud to ensure employers comply with the state's labor, licensing and tax laws.

In May, Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office issued an Advisory on the Massachusetts Independent Contractor/Misclassification Law.  The Advisory provides guidance regarding the Attorney General's interpretation and enforcement of the law and can be found on the Attorney General's website.

Share This Article: