UES Construction Site Workers Claim They Were Stiffed On Wages

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Construction workers held a rally Wednesday to demand they be paid back wages for work performed at construction sites on the Upper East Side and in Queens.

Immigrant union and non-union workers claim they have been deprived of pay for construction work performed at 147 E. 86th St. — a high-rise development called The Hayworth that's going up on the corner of Lexington Avenue. Workers say the contractor Top Shelf Electric is months behind on payments.

Wednesday's rally was held at an active Top Shelf Electric work site at 45 Commercial St. in Brooklyn. The firm is also accused of being months behind on payments for work done at the 10 Hallets Point development in Long Island City.

"It is inconceivable that a wealthy development company is ok with leaving hard-working New Yorkers unpaid for over a year during a pandemic. On top of everything New Yorkers are going through right now, these hardworking laborers have to deal with fighting to get paid for work they already did. This is not fair, this is not right and it is not the New York way. I demand that these workers get their back wages immediately," Upper East Side City Councilmember Ben Kallos said in a statement.

Queens Councilmembers I. Daneek Miller and Francisco Moya also showed support for the workers along with Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Wednesday's rally was organized by the group New Immigrant Community Empowerment and the Take It Back coalition. The coalition consists of multiple construction labor unions opposing wage theft and unsafe conditions on construction sites.

"Time and time again immigrant construction workers have confronted the pattern of negligence and worker exploitation displayed by companies like New Line and Top Shelf. NICE is joining this fight not only to demand these companies pay workers the wages they are owed, but because we know companies that underpay their workers and steal wages are the same companies that expose workers to unsafe conditions that lead to injury and death," Diana Moreno, director of worker rights at New Immigrant Community Empowerment, said in a statement.

A request for comment left with Top Shelf Electric was not immediately returned Thursday.