Union Says Workers Not Being Paid at Framingham Housing Authority Development

FRAMINGHAM – For the second time in a month, members of the Carpenters Local 336 were protesting outside of Carlson Crossing, a Framingham Housing Authority project.

A small group of union members and employees, who the union said were fired for asking for prevailing wage, were holding signs outside the project on Beaver Street.

In January of 2023, the Framingham Housing Authority awarded a contract to TRAC Builders of Rhode Island for a project in South Framingham for $26.774 million.

The Framingham Housing Authority project modernizes the Beaver Street federal public housing site, by converting it into a tax credit property for families at or below 30% of area median income.  

The first phase – called Carlson Crossing West – is made up of 68 units in 17 buildings. 

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In March, the union and fired employees were outside protesting the project. They were back at it again today, April 7.

“More workers have been fired for asking to be paid properly,” said Rick Anketell, organizer with Carpenters Local 336.

Anketell said others are still waiting to be paid the money they are owed, on the project.

It’s been “55 days not being paid properly and workers continue to be fired for asked for proper pay,” said Anketell.

SOURCE contact TRAC Builders of Rhode Island in March twice for a statement and no response.

In March, Executive Director of Framingham Housing Authority released this statement “the Framingham Housing Authority followed Chapter 149 Bid Laws and publicly bid the Carlson Crossing West Modernization Project. General Contractors and Filed Sub-Contractors were required to follow a pre-qualification process which is required for all projects of this size. TRAC Builders submitted the lowest bid of the pre-qualified General Contractors,” said Framingham Housing Authority Executive Director Paul Landers.

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“The project site is made up of both Union and Non-Union sub-contractors. A M Enterprises is a sub-contractor of TRAC Builders for interior demolition,” said Landers to SOURCE. “This project is subject to Massachusetts prevailing wage law. It requires the submission of Certified payrolls for all Contractors and Sub-Contractors working on this project.”

But members of the North Atlantic Carpenters Union Local 336 said workers are not being paid the prevailing wage, per the contract. And when employees question the contractor & subcontractor, they are fired.

The Framingham Housing Authority has no affiliation with the City of Framingham, which instituted a wage theft law. The City Council enacted it in 2022.

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Formed in 1946, the Framingham Housing Authority has a five-member Board of Commissioners.

The Commissioners and the Executive Director maintains more than 1,000 units of public housing and administers rent subsidies for more than 800 units of private housing, in cooperation with federal, state and local authorities.

Ironically, one of the five Commissioners of the Framingham Housing Authority is Steve Joyce, who is Contractor Relations Director at North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

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