Cracking down on worker classification

Hartford, Conn. (WTNH) - Labor unions and the construction industry are coming together to support Senator Dick Blumenthal's co-sponsoring of federal legislation that would crack down on employee misclassification.

"Misclassification is the practice of designating workers as independent contractors when they are, in fact, employees," Blumenthal explained.

Some employers use this to avoid paying for unemployment compensation, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and even avoiding minimum wage and overtime pay laws.

"My employees, they lose when they are shut out of work," said Nick Civitillo, mason contractor.

In some cases, the misclassification allows employers to underbid their competitors taking away jobs.

"And the hard working employees are exploited and denied important workplace protections," Civitillo said.

"Millions of dollars and billions of dollars nationally are being stolen from taxpayers and our federal and state governments by employers who are misclassifying workers," said Matthew Capece, Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.

The issue came up during the senate campaign with Linda McMahon last year. Reports surfaced that the State Labor Department was investigating the WWE on this issue, a report the Labor Department will not confirm.

Blumenthal said during the campaign that as a U.S. Senator he would continue to emphasize consumer issues like this.