Justice Catalyst Partner Catholic Labor Network Finds Wage Theft and Worker Misclassification in Construction Industry

Catholic Labor Network (CLN), a Justice Catalyst partner organization, released a report, “The Underground Economy and Wage Theft in Washington, D.C.’s Commercial Construction Sector” exposing rampant wage theft in the construction industry in the District of Columbia.

The report finds that construction workers are often misclassified as independent contractors or paid under the table in cash, leaving them without necessary wage and hour law protections and the public without a stream of tax revenue. 

In an interview with Catholic News Service, CLN executive director Clayton Sinyai expressed surprise at the level of integration between labor brokers and subcontractors in the construction sector. The integration contributes to workers at many job sites being paid below D.C.’s $15 minimum wage. 

To read the full report, click here.