TCLG partnered with Department of Labor to catch cheating contractor on wage theft

July 8, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shannon Reed, 602-626-8805

TEMPE, Ariz. – July 8, 2015 –Torres Consulting and Law Group (TCLG) has confirmed through a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Labor (DOL) that AWY Holdings dba Tempe Mechanical consented to a three year debarment due to $114,524.40 of wage theft perpetrated against 23 laborers and mechanics in their employ. In the agreement signed on January 20, 2015, Tempe Mechanical and its president Arthur W. Young acknowledged that they are ineligible to solicit, bid for, obtain or be awarded any contract of the United States for three years. “Helping the Department of Labor in the war against wage theft is a key initiative for our clients,” said TCLG Managing Partner Israel Torres. “Every time that cheating contractors are caught and penalized it reinforces that violations will be uncovered and dealt with severely.” DOL identified the wage theft in Arizona and TCLG’s diligent research assisted the case with proof of wage theft in New Mexico by Tempe Mechanical. The combination of the two states helped strengthen DOL’s case against them. There was solid proof of violations of the Davis Bacon Act and Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. Tempe Mechanical misclassified employees who performed work on the contract, resulting in an underpayment of the required wage rate and improperly deducted amounts due from the wages of employees for travel and lodging. TCLG provides a variety of consulting services, including regulatory compliance and public and government relations, to clients across the United States. A specialty is DavisBacon and prevailing wage compliance for local unions, contractor associations and building trades’ organizations.

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