Minnesota enacted one of the country’s most stringent wage theft laws four years ago.

However, union leaders within the construction sector claim that wage theft remains a significant problem within the industry.

As the peak summer construction period commences, the industry is bracing itself for the introduction of new protocols mandated by an upcoming modification to Minnesota law.

Despite previous efforts to curb wage theft, construction labor leaders say the exploitation of workers is still a recurring issue.

In response, they lobbied for a bill in the recent legislative term to hold site owners and managers accountable, not just suspected subcontractors.

Adam Duininck, the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters’ director of government affairs, praised the inclusion of this provision in the final budget bill.

He believes the law will discourage the engagement of unscrupulous subcontractors since general contractors and developers will understand their liability.

Certain projects such as single-family housing developments and contractors engaged in collective bargaining agreements are exempt from the bill.

While some industry groups have criticized these exemptions, arguing that they show bias, Duininck counters by stating that wage theft is rarely an issue on job sites with unionized contractors.

The amendments are slated to be effective from August 1.

Until then, Duininck hopes that awareness will not only increase among project leaders, but also among...

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