When you live pay check to pay check and you're boss can't pay you five weeks in a row, wallets get really tight, not knowing where to turn one family turned to Action 4 News.
It's hard to put presents under the tree when you don't even have enough money to keep the lights on.
"They keep saying they are going to get paid Wednesday, and Wednesday comes along and now it's been five weeks with no money,” said a woman whose husband works for Weslaco based construction company MF Sites Construction.
While she wishes to remain anonymous in fear her husband will lose his job this woman says she can't remain silent.
"Who's getting hurt? We are. We have nothing. We have no food. No money to pay our bills," the woman said.
Technically still employed, the workers and their families do not qualify for unemployment assistance.
"It hurts, he is working, and not getting paid and we can't get any help,” the woman said.
"What do we do? They are stuck in the middle,” the woman’s friend said.
And they aren't alone.
"It's not just us but the other 40 families that are going through this,” the friend said.
Action 4 stopped by the MF Sites Construction head quarters in Weslaco.
While the boss wasn't in, one worker told Action 4 News they were waiting on the city of Penitas to pay them for the company's work on the new sewer/water line.
240 days behind schedule, Penitas city manager Noe Cavazos says the city isn't happy with the company but has paid them for the their work.
“Our responsibility is to pay the contractor based on the certification of our engineers and our inspectors,” Cavazos said. “The city has been reimbursed for the work done. We pay the contractors immediately. We do not hold any money back."
While Cavazos acknowledges the employees work, he says there is little the city can do.
"We are really sorry for the employees. I wish there was something we could do for them,” Cavazos said. “They are working on a weekly basis expecting their pay checks but unfortunately they are not our employees and there is nothing we can do to ascertain that they get paid."
Action 4 left its contact information with the construction company secretary when a crew stopped by and called multiple times but have yet to receive a response.
Cavazos suggests if you are worker not getting paid to contact the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor.
If the company continues to fall behind schedule Cavazos says the city of Penitas may impose liquidated damages but would does not want to delay the project any further.
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