OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) -- Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday afternoon his office has filed a settlement with Caicos Corporation for multiple violations of the state's prevailing wage laws.
The settlement, Ferguson said, will result in a total payment of more than $64,000 plus $25,000 in interest to 14 misclassified workers.
"The Attorney General's Office is proud to work with the Department of Labor and Industries to protect workers from wage shortages and to hold companies accountable in the marketplace," he said in a statement.
Labor and Industries Director Joel Slacks agreed.
"When companies choose to skirt our state's prevailing wage laws, they shortchange the workers they hire and gain an unfair competitive advantage over companies who play by the rules," he said in a statement.
From 2006-09, Caicos served as the general contractor for the Point Hudson Marina reconstruction -- a public works project for the Port of Port Townsend, subject to the requirements of Washington's prevailing wage law.
In 2007, Labor and Industries received a complaint alleging Caicos was failing to comply with prevailing wage requirements.
The department's investigation revealed the company failed to compensate at least 14 workers at the required prevailing wage rate for the correct classification of labor performed, and pay overtime compensation at the rate of one and one-half times the prevailing rate of wage.
Following what it described as "extensive" administrative and legal action, Ferguson's office secured an agreement from Caicos and its surety to pay the state a total of $109,709.44.
That includes: $64,097.74 in unpaid prevailing wages owed; about $25,000 in interest; and about $20,000 in fees and costs.
Ferguson said the check already has been received, and Labor and Industries will distribute the unpaid wages, and interest, to the 14 workers.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.