The Department of Labor is asking a federal judge to bar a company owned by the San Carlos Apache Tribe from bidding on government contracts for three years.

The department says Teltara Ndee Tribal Enterprises failed to pay prevailing wages or benefits to its employees, who work at military bases in six states and at a federal building in California.

“We’re seeking debarment of this company, the owner, the vice president and six companies in which they have substantial interest, due to a long history of noncompliance with federal contracting laws,” George Friday Jr., the administrator of the San Francisco Regional Office of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, said in a press release. “When contractors fail to play by the rules, they not only shortchange their employees, they also undercut their competitors. Our goals are to protect workers and ensure a level playing field for the contractor community.”

The department also said Teltara LLC, an affiliated company that isn't owned by the tribe, would also be covered by the proposed debarment.

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Company May Be Barred From Federal Contracts (The Hartford Courant 4/5)