“Vermont Construction Company admonished over unsafe living conditions for migrant workers”

…Even at night, the lights stay on at 128 Hegeman Avenue in Colchester, where there are signs for Vermont Construction Company outside. But reporting done first by VTDigger reveals it’s more than a commercial property.

“The fact that they’re keeping these people like indentured slaves, servants, in their buildings,” said Colchester Selectboard Chair Pam Loranger.

Loranger admonished Vermont Construction Company at a meeting Tuesday night after discovering the company was housing up to 19 people in a storage space with exposed electrical wiring and loose trash near space heaters without any fire or carbon monoxide safety measures.

“It’s not like they were living in squalor. This is good accommodations for some of them,” said Byron [Gokey]… from Vermont Construction Company…

Gokey has been building in Vermont for over 50 years. He’s proud of Vermont Construction Company’s work and he says the business is growing quickly with rising demand for work and laborers, many of whom happen to be Latino migrants…

Migrant Justice believes new state legislation to protect migrants against housing discrimination could bolster the labor force and ensure safe housing.