Nov. 29, 2019 (Nashville) “We can’t let people keep getting abused!” said Efrain, after he won back $1,500 for painting a public housing apartment complex in July.
After months of organizing with fellow workers, Efrain led his case to victory. But why did it take four months of bounced checks and runarounds to get paid for a job well done?
Greedy bosses in a rotten system
In yet another subcontracting scheme that leaves workers vulnerable to abuse, Nashville public housing authority MDHA hired CMG Contractors as the general contractor responsible for a project at John Henry Hale Apartments. CMG then subcontracted with F&C Painting, owned by Erick Cruz. F&C went on to hire Efrain and his crew to paint the public housing complex. Efrain says he never even saw the general contractor, and didn’t know who they were. When he tried to collect payment from the company who hired him, F&C owners gave him the runaround, paid with bounced checks, and responded belligerently.
Along with other Workers’ Dignity members, Efrain spoke directly with the property manager at the public housing complex. The MDHA manager followed up with CMG, and together pressured F&C to pay what Efrain was owed. As a final insult, F&C owners scheduled then abruptly cancelled meetings to pay, and finally called from the Plaza Mariachi parking lot at 10:30 PM and told Efrain to get his money now or forget about it.
If that sounds confusing to you, you’re not alone.This is the reality of construction work in Nashville — absent and irresponsible general contractors, outrageously abusive subcontractors, and workers left in the lurch.
Efrain joins growing movement of construction workers who demand justice
But thanks to Efrain and the dozens of workers like him who are standing up to injustice, we can start to change “business as usual.”