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As new General Assembly Building rises, so do questions about labor practices at site
EDITOR'S PICK
As new General Assembly Building rises, so do questions about labor practices at site
By Michael Martz Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 20, 2020
By the time the next governor takes office, a tunnel long sought by the state Senate will be partly built between the Capitol and a new General Assembly Building that is rising on a corner of Capitol Square in the heart of Virginia’s seat of government in downtown Richmond.
{snip}
But while members of the House Appropriations Committee expressed excitement about the new 14-story building and the committee’s offices on the 12th floor, one legislator voiced concern on Tuesday about treatment of the workers who are building it.
“What concerns me most is that this is the people’s house that is being built,” Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, told the committee near the end of its annual retreat. “And we don’t want to move into a building that is using labor that is being exploited. If anything, this has to be purer than Caesar’s wife.”
Krizek’s concerns arise from allegations by union officials that some subcontractors on the project are using labor brokers who classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees — leaving them vulnerable to additional tax liabilities — and don’t pay them time and a half for overtime work. ... Joe Damico, director of the Department of General Services, responded, “I have not been brought specific information that would lead me to believe there are any wage issues on the site.”
{snip}
mmartz@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6964
As new General Assembly Building rises, so do questions about labor practices at site
By Michael Martz Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 20, 2020
By the time the next governor takes office, a tunnel long sought by the state Senate will be partly built between the Capitol and a new General Assembly Building that is rising on a corner of Capitol Square in the heart of Virginia’s seat of government in downtown Richmond.
{snip}
But while members of the House Appropriations Committee expressed excitement about the new 14-story building and the committee’s offices on the 12th floor, one legislator voiced concern on Tuesday about treatment of the workers who are building it.
“What concerns me most is that this is the people’s house that is being built,” Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, told the committee near the end of its annual retreat. “And we don’t want to move into a building that is using labor that is being exploited. If anything, this has to be purer than Caesar’s wife.”
Krizek’s concerns arise from allegations by union officials that some subcontractors on the project are using labor brokers who classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees — leaving them vulnerable to additional tax liabilities — and don’t pay them time and a half for overtime work. ... Joe Damico, director of the Department of General Services, responded, “I have not been brought specific information that would lead me to believe there are any wage issues on the site.”
{snip}
mmartz@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6964