Construction Citizen
November 25th, 2014
Sweeping education reforms passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013 will be a great help to business leaders in Houston as they embark on an unprecedented push to promote “middle skills” jobs. Those are well-paying jobs that...
October 30th, 2013
There is a profound truth that often gets ignored in the haze of political warfare. Sometime, in order to actually get something done, you have to work WITH the other side! Wow, what a concept! It is easy to just hate the...
September 18th, 2013
Two weeks ago, I brought you a report about a group of workers in Austin, Texas who worked in sweatshop labor conditions and were denied overtime pay by their employers. The work was related to a construction project...
August 15th, 2013
TexasGOPVote has been reporting on issues regarding wage theft, payroll fraud and employee misclassification for several years now. Recently the Texas Legislature passed legislation to help clamp down on some companies that...
June 17th, 2013
In a conference call with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) late last week, I learned that Democrats are working against meaningful immigration reform to appease growing opposition from labor unions by setting unrealistically...
February 21st, 2013
After talking about it for months, Sen. John Carona filed a bill that he believes will help stop the problem of worker misclassification, also known as payroll fraud.The bill could still be substituted and amended, but this...
January 16th, 2013
Many employers across Texas cheat the system everyday by misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of employees. The result is a loss of tax revenue and unemployment insurance, dodging of child support...
January 2nd, 2013
The blue collar heroes we talk about all the time on Construction Citizen are constantly doing good works throughout the communities where they live. In fact, they do this work in an under-the-radar kind of way that causes...
November 21st, 2012
It is time for Republicans in Texas to take a leadership role in solving the problem of employee misclassification and payroll fraud. During the 2011 Legislative Session there was good legislation put forward, but it did not...
January 5th, 2012
On July 13, Construction Citizen shared a story first reported by Dallas/Fort Worth television station WFAA about misclassification of workers on a school construction project. Last week, the same WFAA reporter submitted an...
February 13th, 2014
During the 2013 Texas legislative session, a major education reform was passed to help broaden the educational opportunities of students to be able to compete not only in colleges but in the workplace as well.The bill set...
October 24th, 2013
With issues related to ObamaCare, more and more companies are looking for ways to get workers off their books.
September 5th, 2013
The construction industry is rampant with workers who are misclassified as independent contractors when they are really employees, according to a study by the University of Texas. Workers who are misclassified are often...
July 5th, 2013
For nearly three years, we have been bringing you information about the problem of unethical companies that misclassify workers as independent contractors when, in reality, they are employees. They do this for a variety of...
February 26th, 2013
For 140 days every two years, lawmakers, their staffs, armies of lobbyists, activists, journalists, and others descend on the Texas Capitol for the regular session of the legislature. The legislative issue we're watching...
February 14th, 2013
One of the trends weve been watching closely is the shift in attitudes when it comes to the "college for all" mentality that has dominated public policy in recent decades. Now, a plan in support of that shift is picking up...
January 10th, 2013
As the Texas Legislature begins its 2013 regular session, employers across the state are looking at proposed legislation to place tighter controls on preventing employee misclassification. Misclassification is a practice...
December 6th, 2012
For over two years now, I have been writing about unethical businesses using employee misclassification as a strategy to create an unfair competitive advantage over legitimate employers in the marketplace. According to an...
October 18th, 2012
This article originally appeared on ConstructionCitizen.com.Just last week, construction executive Stan Marek noted on Construction Citizen, “The labor situation in Houston is heading into the biggest crisis we...
December 21st, 2011
Previously, I have written several articles about the problems for workers and government caused by the unethical and illegal business practices of some companies who misclassify employees to gain an unfair advantage over...