Nearly three dozen construction workers — mostly Guyanese immigrants — got back pay Monday totaling close to $1 million after a city probe found they’d been ripped off by their employer.
The checks for the North American Iron Works employees — who worked on city schools and the Queens Museum from 2010 to 2012 — ranged from $382 to $73,801, according to city Controller Scott Stringer’s office.
The workers were supposed to be paid a “prevailing wage” rate of around $40 an hour that is required by law for people hired for city projects.
Instead, they were paid about $16 an hour, Stringer said.
His office, which enforces the prevailing wage law, was tipped off when one worker complained about being underpaid.
In addition to having to fork over $871,852 in benefits and back pay for 33 workers, the iron company will also have to pay $52,311 in interest and a $46,208 penalty. “We are sending a message to unscrupulous contractors: we will take action against those who cheat their workers,” said Stringer.
