News

Carpenters Local 336 held a rally demanding justice for immigrant workers that were victims of wage theft and retaliation while working for Optiline, a drywall contractor with documented violations of the law. The company is currently working on the 274 Franklin Street development project in Worcester, MA.

 A Superior Court judge found that Optiline’s owner threatened and intimidated workers when they exercised their rights by filing a lawsuit seeking to be paid legally mandated overtime pay. These threats included overt references to the workers’ immigration status with the clear implication that they would face deportation if they did not drop the lawsuit.

The 274 Franklin Street is a 360-unit, market-rate housing project, receiving substantial public support. The Michaels Organization and GoVenture Capital Group were awarded approximately $11 million in local property-tax relief over 15 years, followed by additional state tax credits.

The development is subject to Worcester’s Responsible Development Ordinance and the City’s TIF/TIE Policy—protections intended to prevent contractors with wage-and-hour violations from working on publicly supported projects.

Optiline was previously banned from working under Worcester’s Responsible Development Ordinance in June 2025 because of its documented violations. Yet the company has now been allowed to return to the site. It is a failure of our institutions to let a contractor with this record be given free range across the state to exploit workers, immigrants and make money on taxpayer funded projects.

Union and community members, elected officials, and activist groups stood in solidarity to demand justice for these workers and accountability contractors who violate workers’ rights. Public dollars should never help fund exploitation of workers. Every worker deserves fair wages, dignity and protection from retaliation.