Former employees ask for class action lawsuit against State College contractor

Centre Co., PA (WJAC) — A federal judge is being asked to give the green light to the possibility of more people joining a civil suit against a well-known, Centre County road construction contractor.

Three former employees of Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. filed a civil suit against the company in 2021 based on the criminal charges filed against the company by the state attorney general’s office.

Hawbaker was accused of illegally diverting pension money and other employee benefits.

The company denied any wrongdoing, pleaded no contest to four criminal charges, and paid more than $20 million in restitution.

Now, the three who filed the civil suit are asking the presiding federal judge to make it a class action lawsuit.

If the judge agrees, current and former hourly wage employees who worked on prevailing wage contracts at Hawabaker, from September 1st, 2012, through December 31st, 2018, could join the suit.

It’s estimated that the class action suit could include more than 1,250 workers.

There is no word on how soon the judge could be making a ruling.

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