Connecticut is taking a step to make sure workers are paid fairly.

On June 30, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act 26-17, which enables the State Comptroller to issue a stop work order and withhold state funds to contractors that are not properly paying their employees.

The bill was signed on the construction site for Greeneville Elementary School, which is one of the four new elementary schools being built in Norwich. The State of Connecticut is reimbursing the city for 80% of the project, and the law applies to “any place where the state is making a payment,” Lamont said.

Wage theft can take many forms

It matters because wage theft can take many forms, from money taken from base pay, to money not given in benefits, Kimberly Glassman, director of compliance and government affairs for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, said.

Local 478 also has a presence in the Norwich school building project, with 10 to 20 union members working at each site daily, Glassman said.

What do state leaders think of the Greeneville site’s progress?

Lamont is impressed with how quickly the work is going.

“They told me that the walls went up in the last two weeks, so a lot of progress is happening,” he said.

During the bill signing, Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh touted the importance of using union labor and the value of project labor agreements.

“We are on time and on budget,” he said.

After the bill signing, Singh said its possible the Greeneville School building could be complete as soon as the first quarter of 2027, he said.

“They’re not wasting any time,” Singh said.

State Rep. Derrel Wilson attended the original Greeneville School as a kid, and still lives in Greeneville. He was credited as being one of the driving forces for getting the workers bill passed.

“It’s exciting seeing this revitalization for our neighborhood, seeing active construction and watching individuals rebuild our community,” Wilson said.