Hotel construction workers walk off site in protest of wages

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Around 100 mostly immigrant Latino workers have walked off the Omni Hotel construction site in Louisville in protest, saying they are being paid substantially less than other crew members.

The Courier-Journal reports (http://cjky.it/2rCniBY ) that the workers’ lawyer David Suetholz says the workers who walked off Wednesday morning are not being paid at the prevailing commercial rate, at $18 to $26 an hour. He says other workers, some who belong to a carpenters’ union, are being paid $35 to $45 an hour. He says the protesting workers have asked for a meeting with general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie but had not received a response as of Wednesday night.

Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President Tracey Sibley said in a statement Wednesday that the wages were established at the beginning of the project.

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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com