‘It has really gotten out of hand’: wage theft rampant in US construction

US regulators are cracking down on business practices that mean workers are not paid their due, a problem exacerbated in building industry by use of labor broker system

For years, Cristian Cespedes worked as a foreman for a construction contractor, Unforgettable Coatings, in Las Vegas, where he and his co-workers often worked over 60 hours a week without overtime pay.

He recalls having to tell workers who were injured on the job that they had to deal with the injury and pay for medical care themselves. He knew the treatment and conditions imposed on himself and his co-workers were wrong, but he didn't know he could do anything about it.