Attorney General Andrew Cuomo now has his eyes set on the city's top two hotel developers who have ties with a contractor recently accused of paying construction workers based on their race. Developers Sam Chang and John Lam— who've created thousands of hotel rooms—used contractor Michael Mahoney, who allegedly paid white carpenters $25/hr, blacks $18/hr and Latinos and Brazilians $15/hr, for a number of their projects. A District Council of Carpenters supervisor said: “Sheetrock, lumber, nails, cost pretty much the same for any contractor. But for these greedy people, labor is the difference and success comes off workers' backs." more ›

Six New York construction companies illegally paid white workers more than minorities who had the same jobs, a state lawsuit alleges. White workers earned an average of $25 per hour, while blacks netted $18 per hour and Latinos took home only $15 per hour, according to the suit filed by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Since 2002, pay discrepancies at at least ten different construction sites scammed minorities out of $4 million in wages and overtime. more ›