DOL Retaliation Suit Shows Need for Better State Law, Advocates Say

A federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor charging a construction company with retaliation over a workers' compensation claim has fueled the fire for state-based reforms in Massachusetts. The lawsuit has left employers and attorneys wondering why the DOL, given the current political climate, is going to bat for a man who was considered to be an undocumented worker, in an area of the law often handled in state courts. “It seems unusual to us, too,” said Boston attorney Dan Dwyer, who represents Tara Construction Co., the employer accused of working with a fri...