Official Site of The State of New JerseyNJDOL Issues Company-Wide Stop-Work Order to East Brunswick Contractor Performing Construction Work at Public Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2024
TRENTON – Investigators from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s (NJDOL) Division of Wage and Hour Compliance issued the following company-wide stop-work order on July 23, 2024:
Employer: CCL Construction L.L.C. of East Brunswick, N.J.
Work Locations: Jessie F. George School in Washington Township, N.J. and Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater, N.J.
Category: Public works construction
Nature of Work: Concrete/Masonry
Violations: Failure to pay prevailing wage; failure to register (working while unregistered/suspended state); obstruction/hindering investigation; unpaid wages/late payment
Details: Due to the serious and widespread nature of violations, CCL Construction was issued a company-wide stop-work order to halt all current and future work, versus notices at each current work site.
Number of Workers Affected: 9-11 workers
NJDOL has issued 167 stop-work orders since these powers were expanded in July 2019. The company-wide stop-work order issued to CCL Construction is the third time NJDOL has used this authority, with the first being in April 2021 and the second being earlier this July involving two separate construction contractors.
Stop-work orders are initiated by NJDOL to halt work being performed in a manner that exploits workers, or is otherwise noncompliant with state laws and regulations. An employer may appeal a stop-work order, in which case NJDOL has seven days to schedule a hearing.
NJDOL continues to monitor locations where stop-work orders have been issued, and can assess civil penalties of $5,000 per day against an employer conducting business in violation of the order. The stop-work order may be lifted if and when any remaining back wages and penalties have been paid and all related issues have been resolved.
NJDOL and its partners at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Education sent direct letters reminding local governments and boards of education of their responsibilities under the New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act.
NJDOL maintains a record of registered public works contractors that should be consulted by any government agency or entity before hiring for a public works project. Doing so can help avoid unnecessary project delays and extra costs to businesses, schools, government entities and taxpayers. The list contains thousands of businesses, and is searchable by name, address, registration date, and certificate number.
In addition, registered public works contractors are required to participate in Registered Apprenticeship programs, which ensures that public funds contribute to the training of New Jersey workers in the construction sector.
For more information on worker benefits and protections, please visit myworkrights.nj.gov.
