By Joe Dana | 12 News
The chief executive officer of one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, responding to concerns about “off the books” labor used to build houses in Arizona, said he believes the industry has a responsibility to make sure everybody is following the same rules.
“Number One, we want to be a good citizen and do the right thing,” Meritage Homes CEO Steve Hilton said. “But it’s also important that we compete on a level playing field.”
Eric Murray, Phoenix district director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s wage and hour division, said several weeks ago that “disturbing trends” were developing involving misclassified labor in Arizona’s construction industry. He said he believed the practice was eroding state employment numbers.
