Federal contractor pays $293K in back wages to 69 employees in Nevada after US Department of Labor investigation finds prevailing wage violations

LAS VEGAS – A federal contractor working at Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range – including Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs – has paid $293,051 in back wages and fringe benefits to 69 employees after the U.S. Department of Labor found the employer failed to pay workers required prevailing wages.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that URS Federal Services paid wages below the prevailing rates required for construction work performed under a U.S. Department of Defense contract, violating the Davis-Bacon Act. The employer’s failure to pay required overtime to workers in the air traffic control tower at the facility violated the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

“Prevailing wage laws provide a safety net of fair wages to workers, their families and communities, and enable local contractors and subcontractors to compete on a level playing field,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Gene Ramos, in Las Vegas. “Enforcement of these laws protects the wages of hard-working, middle-class American workers. The Wage and Hour Division will remain vigilant in its work to ensure employees are paid in compliance with these laws.”

Based in Baltimore, URS Federal Services provides management, logistics, information technology and network communication services to the U.S. military.

The division offers numerous resources to ensure employers have the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with federal law, such as online videos and confidential calls to local WHD offices. Learn more about the FLSA. Contact the Wage and Hour Division toll-free at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) for more information.