Yesterday, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced criminal charges against the major anti-union company, Glenn O. Hawbaker Incorporated, which has fleeced workers, honest companies, and the Commonwealth of more than $20 Million. The charges announced are the largest Davis-Bacon prevailing wage case in U.S. History.
The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO officers want to thank Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his incredible team for the extraordinary work done today to stand up and fight for PA’s workers and their families. The State Federation officers issued the following statements:
“Glenn O. Hawbaker Incorporated has stolen from its workers and the Commonwealth. This fraud has cheated honest, hard-working people out of the wages, healthcare, and retirement security they are due. Companies should not get a pass for violating the law and depriving workers of the rightful compensation for their labor. The working people of Pennsylvania have an Attorney General who will fight for their rights on the job, and Josh Shapiro is holding this unscrupulous employer accountable for this egregious theft,” stated President Rick Bloomingdale.
“These criminal charges are a clear demonstration of the importance of workers’ right to organize and join a union. Workers with a union contract have the power to protect their wages, while workers without representation are subject to the employer’s bad practices without recourse. The Protecting the Right to Organize act (PRO Act), which has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, is needed now more than ever to prevent wage theft and workers from being misclassified, among other common atrocities levied by unscrupulous employers. Where unions are involved, there is legitimate oversight and protection of workers. With no union, the understaffed and underfunded system puts the fox in charge of the hen house. The fox, in this case, was Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., where workers were financially devoured, and they deserve to be made whole, with every penny that was stolen from them, returned,” remarked Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder.
Bloomingdale added, “Employers looking to take advantage of workers in Pennsylvania beware. PRO Act will also impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 per every single violation of workers’ rights. And ultimately doing away with ‘right to work for less,’ once and for all.”
