Photo Courtesy of New York District Council of Carpenters
Union carpenters show up to support workers’ rights at Rally against Tax Fraud.
By Forum Staff
Led by the New York City District Council of Carpenters, construction union members recently rallied as part of the annual National Tax Fraud Days of Action during which trade workers and elected officials demand accountability from immoral contractors committing tax fraud.
According to research by the Institute for Construction Economic Research, tax fraud is an epidemic in the construction industry, and it is costing communities billions of dollars in lost revenue. ICERES research found that payroll and tax fraud costs New Yorkers more than $1 billion annually. Construction tax fraud frequently goes hand-in-hand with wage theft, with unscrupulous contractors stealing over $946 million annually from construction workers nationwide.
Carpenters noted that last year the General Contractor Liability Act was signed into law in New York. The law eliminates loopholes that allowed general contractors to deny responsibility for offenses committed by subcontractors and give state prosecutors more power to hold contractors accountable.
“I’m proud of union carpenters’ ongoing fight to protect the rights of working people throughout New York and stop cheating contractors from evading their fair share of federal and state taxes. Our strong turn out during the Tax Fraud Day of Action Rally is representative of our union’s collective effort to put an end to tax fraud for good,” said Joseph Geiger, executive secretary-treasurer of the New York District Council of Carpenters. “Our union helped secure a huge victory with the General Contractor Liability Law, but the fight against wage theft and tax fraud is far from over and this rally is a critical step toward a better future for construction workers everywhere.”
