DANGEROUS, ILLEGAL AND UNETHICAL
In May of 2014, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against Universal Drywall – one of Callahan’s primary subcontractors – for continued illegal misclassification of workers as independent contractors [11]. Universal had already been sued once before for misclassifying workers and evading workers compensation, and in that lawsuit, the company was forced to pay over $327,000 [12].
A Massachusetts Joint Task Force collected $15.6 million in 2013 alone, from companies who violated labor law by misclassifying their workers as independent contractors [13]. When employers avoid paying workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, social security, and other payroll taxes, premiums and taxes for everyone else are raised in order to compensate.
The Joint Task Force 2012 Annual Report argues that “legitimate businesses subsidize […] entities that do not follow the wage and hour laws, purchase workers’ compensation insurance, or contribute to the UI system […]. Taxpayers are also unduly burdened as many workers who are misclassified […] utilize existing social safety nets. Finally, the sheer number of workers who now fall into the underground economy puts stress on the social safety net […]”and the taxpayers who fund it [14].
The construction industry is a dangerous business, but you have the power and the responsibility to choose a contractor who can complete your project in a responsible, legal, and ethical manner. Callahan’s record does not meet these standards.
*While not all of these actions took place on a Callahan-managed jobsite, all are attributable to regular Callahan subcontractors*
