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Another Callahan Subcontractor Sued

by admin on June 27, 2016

Callahan Inc. has once again chosen a subcontractor that is facing legal actions for its illegal and unethical business practices – this time in the form of a $1.3 million lawsuit filed by the US Attorney’s Office against Twin Pines Construction (now known as Force Corporation). The collection notice against Force and its predecessor companies represents the latest in a long string of Callahan subcontractors facing lawsuits, including cases with the Attorney General’s Office, OSHA fines and fees, and cases with the MA Supreme Judicial Court.

Force Corporation was the wood frame subcontractor on the Callahan’s Pinehills Independent Living project in Plymouth, and was recently selected to perform the wood frame on Callahan’s Assembly Row project in Somerville.

In 2013, OSHA fined Twin Pines Construction (now known as Force Corporation) more than $625,000 in a series of willful, repeat, and serious violations. OSHA cited the employer’s “knowledge of and refusal to correct” the violations, which included an inspection triggered after a worker suffered broken ribs and leg injuries. The architectural publication Durability and Design called Twin Pines a “recidivist” MA framing contractor, and pointed out that the company had more than 10 OSHA cases in 4 years. In December of 2015, Force Corporation recieved a $91,000 OSHA fine, in what OSHA called an “imminent danger situation” – we wrote about that incident here.

Now, three years later, the US Attorney’s Office has had to resort to filing a collections notice to force the company to pay what has become more than $1.3 million in fines and fees.

After facing considerable community pressure to choose subcontractors who provided safe jobsites and paid area standard wages and benefits, Callahan chose to select Force Corporation to perform the wood frame portion of its Assembly Row project in Somerville. Force Corporation clearly does not provide safe jobsites for the men and women working in Somerville, and Callahan’s selection of them demonstrates their complete disregard for worker safety and community input. Federal Realty, the owner of the project, was informed that selecting Callahan as a general contractor could lead to the unscrupulous behaviors demonstrated by Force, and yet chose to go forward with the selection of Callahan.

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Marblehead Zoning Board Rejects Callahan Project

by admin on May 16, 2016

A highly controversial proposed assisted living facility in Marblehead was rejected last week by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), amidst concerns that it would adversely affect the neighborhood. Northbridge Companies, the proposed operator of the facility, had announced its intention to use Callahan, Inc. as the general contractor, adding fuel to the opposition.

​The project, which was first debated by the ZBA seven months ago, faced community opposition at every step in the process. Marblehead residents turned out in large numbers at every Planning Board and ZBA meeting, often forcing the meetings to be rescheduled or relocated due to the large crowds. According to The Salem News, the decision was “met with cheers from the audience. There was talk of going out for a celebration and some even had tears of joy” (Salem News, 05/09/16).

Opponents were concerned about everything from traffic and architecture to the use of Callahan. A Facebook page run by residents includes a link to negative online reviews of other Northbridge communities, including fall hazards, old buildings, concern over the care of loved ones, and exorbitant costs. Northbridge routinely uses Callahan as its general contractor, including recent facilities in Burlington, Plymouth, and Wayland. On the Plymouth project – PineHills Independent Living – Callahan hired Universal Drywall, which is currently being investigated by the Attorney General for illegal misclassification of workers and wage theft, as well as Force Corporation, whose violations have been detailed in a previous newsletter.

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