LD-40 Delegation Calls for Crackdown of Worker Abuse in the Construction Industry

Senator Kristin Corrado, Assemblyman Kevin Rooney, and Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips issued the following joint statement calling on Governor Phil Murphy to end the all-too-common illegal abuse of workers in the construction industry.

“Governor Murphy’s moves to crack down on worker abuse have been all talk and no action. The laws on the books that would prevent workers’ rights from being exploited are not being enforced by this administration. This inaction creates an inequitable playing field, with fly-by-night companies hiring unskilled workers, evading taxes, and paying below minimum wage to increase corporate profits. New Jersey laborers and taxpayers deserve better. We call on the administration to enforce existing laws that would level the playing field, fostering fairness and economic justice for New Jersey’s working people.”

The impacts of developer fraud are sweeping: a study from the William J. Hughes Center at Stockton University revealed approximately 35,000 workers are off the books or illegally misclassified as independent contractors, while the state is losing $25 million per year in tax revenue due to the vast fraud.