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Tax Fraud Days of Action 2021

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The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters joined UBC members across the United States and Canada to raise awareness for construction industry tax fraud. Check out highlights from IKORCC Tax Fraud Days of Action events in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Indiana Tax Fraud Day of Action Event

The Tax Fraud Day of Action event in Indianapolis was a tremendous success. Business representatives and members of the IKORCC Executive Board spent a few hours educating lawmakers on tax fraud, with a special emphasis on solutions to tax fraud. Of the 150 elected officials invited, 62 lawmakers, both republican and democrat, visited the event and learned more about construction industry tax fraud. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett also attended the event.

The Indiana event was held at the Indiana State House atrium. To drive attendance to the event, IKORCC reps handed out tax fraud toolbox/lunchboxes packed with concrete solutions to fight tax fraud. The theme of the giveaway was, “You already have all the tools you need to fight tax fraud”. The toolboxes were a big driver to our event.

The solutions inside included: enforcing existing laws, creating a tax fraud task force, sharing information amongst government agencies and responsible bidder ordinances or RBOs.

In addition to the in-person event, the IKORCC created a new website, endtaxfraud.com. The website focuses on the actual solutions to tax fraud and what lawmakers and the public can do to help.

 

Kentucky Tax Fraud Day of Action Events

We held a two day Tax Fraud Awareness event in Louisville, Kentucky this year. On the first day, we visited a dorm under construction at the University of Louisville, with predominantly union subcontractors. We educated members of all crafts about Tax Fraud and how important it is to get involved politically with elected officials to help eliminate this illegal business model. It was an extremely successful event. We also educated and built relationships with company management teams.

On the second day, we took our messaging to a non-union led job site in Louisville. We used this as an opportunity to educate owners, workers and management teams while also gathering info on Labor Brokers, potential future members, and accurate counts of employees being paid cash or with a 1099. This gave us a new angle on how to fight tax fraud.

Ohio Tax Fraud Day of Action Event

Tax Fraud Days of Action in Columbus was a successful day of educating legislators and the public on why tax fraud is a danger to everyone. Legislators from both sides of the aisle and even some who we didn’t have a previous relationship with us, showed up to learn more about tax fraud. Legislators loved the tax fraud lunchboxes and were excited to talk about upcoming projects in their areas and what our organization has going on.

All IKORCC Representatives onsite had legislators from their area represented in the turnout.

Check out a video interview with Democrat House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes about tax fraud.

Here is another video with Republican House Representative Jay Edwards

Former Industrial Representative and UBC instructor Steve Griffith also stopped by and gave us an interview.

Akron Fire Department

Carpenters & Millwrights Donate Smoke Detectors For Homes in Need

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For the third consecutive year, the Members Action Committee of Local 285 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America –- supported by brothers and sisters from Carpenters Local 373, Carpenters Local 435, Carpenters Local 735 and Millwright/Piledrivers Local 1090 — participated in fundraising aimed at providing smoke and fire detectors to increase community safety for those unable to afford such protective devices.

Read more about last year’s donation: https://cmwcarpenters.com/carpenters-union-donates-170-smoke-detectors-to-local-fire-station/

This year, more than 200 smoke detectors were presented to Captain Mike Haas of the Akron Fire Prevention Inspector Bureau and other officers of the Akron, Ohio Fire Department including Chief Clarence Tucker on Thursday June 4th, 2020. The smoke detectors were delivered by Aaron Wright, Mike Freeman and Abram Bruner, business representatives of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters. The presentation was made at the newly constructed Akron Fire Station 4 on 25 E. Thorton Street.

 

Akron Fire Department

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Call to the Hall! Ohio Carpenters To Rally Against Tax Fraud at Columbus City Hall

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Ohio carpenters & their families will rally outside of the Columbus City Hall on Monday, April 15th from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to shine a spotlight on the corrupt practices of illegitimate contractors who steal billions of dollars from our communities – money that should be spent on education, public safety, and infrastructure. Tax fraud is just one aspect of the illegal business practices plaguing the Ohio construction industry, along with wage theft, independent contractor misclassification, and workers’ compensation insurance fraud.

The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) will join area members in the fight to crack down on these destructive and illegal business practices at the Columbus City Hall. The IKORCC hopes the event will bring awareness of the damage tax fraud causes in Ohio and encourage the Columbus City Council to take action to stop it.

The fraud comes when workers are paid off the books by shady subcontractors and labor brokers, who are hired by contractors to underbid law-abiding businesses. Fraud happens on all types of projects, including taxpayer-funded projects —, which means we all lose.  Rampant cheating in the construction industry makes it difficult to repair roads, bridges and schools, care for veterans and shore up Medicare and Social Security.

Construction industry tax fraud and related crimes and violations are happening every day on large-scale projects, costing Ohio communities an estimated $248 million dollars in state and local taxes.

Recovering unpaid tax dollars in Ohio could pay for:

  • 7,937 teachers
  • 325 miles of resurfaced highways
  • 49% increase in school construction/ renovation

The April 15th rally in Columbus is part of the nationwide Construction Industry Tax Fraud Days of Action by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America to raise awareness and generate action against tax fraud and related crimes.