Just days after a $2.6 million settlement was reached against yet another Callahan subcontractor, the Cambridge City Council voted unanimously in favor of a Policy Order condemning Callahan and urging developers to avoid doing business with general contractors who continually engage in utilizing unscrupulous contractors.
The Policy Order, which passed unanimously, cited Callahan’s long record of hiring subcontractors who pay their workers under the table, misclassify employees as independent contractors, violate health and safety requirements, and engage in all other manners of illegal and unethical behaviors. An online copy of the orderlinked to numerous newspaper articles and press releases from government agencies documenting the violations of Callahan’s subcontractors.
Mayor Denise Simmons proposed the order, which was also sponsored by Vice Mayor Marc McGovern and Councilor Leland Cheung.
“The net effect of engaging in such practices is to make it virtually impossible for honest, law abiding contractors to compete, to cheat the government out of needed tax revenue, to place a heavy strain upon the community’s social service programs and affordable housing stock, and to exploit and endanger the welfare of often vulnerable workers;” reads the order. It goes on to criticize project owners who “perpetuate these immoral practices by hiring Callahan.”
Cambridge joins Quincy, Somerville, Waltham, and other municipalities in their concern over general contractors such as Callahan, who “regularly turn a blind eye to the role their subcontractors may be playing in supporting the underground economy.” These business practices do not support a sustainable and healthy community, and area officials are rightly concerned about the impact these contractors have on their cities and towns. For more information about Callahan, visit callahantruth.com.
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