Jeff McDonald//June 27, 2014//
A Loveland, Colo.-based subcontractor has been fined $20,000 by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries for not providing workers adequate meal and rest breaks while building a massive Google data center in The Dalles.
LPR Construction Co., a structural steel subcontractor, agreed to pay the fine as part of a settlement with BOLI in which it agreed to suspend an additional $8,000 fine as long as the company complies with state wage laws for three years. LPR also must notify BOLI when it performs work in the state during those three years, BOLI spokesman Charlie Burr said.
“It is one of the larger meal and rest violations that we’ve seen,” he said.
BOLI learned about the issue after several workers complained; it sent two warning letters before more complaints sparked an investigation, Burr said.
“We sent investigators to interview employers and employees,” he said. “It was determined that they were not in compliance.”
Twenty-eight employees did not receive rest breaks that they were entitled to, Burr said. The violations took place from December 2013 through April.
The investigation found that the project’s general contractor, JE Dunn Construction, was not at fault.
Contractors can learn more about the state’s meal and rest period laws by contacting the Technical Assistance for Employers program at 971-673-0824.