April 27, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster
We’re gearing up for heavy construction season, and many HOAs are popping up in empty farm fields across the metro. That means lots of construction workers busily building the next generation of housing (and thusly, creating more volunteer opportunities for future board members!)
Word now comes from KARE 11 that a wage theft case of construction workers dating back to 2019 has finally been settled.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) announced Thursday afternoon that Property Maintenance and Construction Inc., Property Maintenance and Construction LLC. and Advantage Construction Inc. have agreed to pay back $1.28 million in back wages and liquidated damages.
All of those companies are now apparently inactive. State investigators have indicated that 26 carpenters became victims in this case, with some missing out on tens of thousands of dollars in wages and benefits from work they performed.
The timeline stems from 2019-2022.
Leaders with the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters say construction companies often intentionally misclassify workers to save money and win bids by avoiding overtime pay, benefits, and employment taxes.
There are myriad ways such companies trim costs to increase their margins, with wage theft among the most egregious (not to mention unethical).
“There will always be those who try to cut corners, willing to exploit workers, ignore the law, and operate in the shadows of the economy, but they should not define our industry,” Tom Lutz with the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters says.
Luckily for these workers, they may finally be getting paid for their labor. Read the report from KARE 11 HERE.
