September 29, 2016

To whom it may concern:

This correspondence intends to respond to claims made in a letter dated September 20, 2016, involving the
treatment of workers at the 8th and Sycamore project in Downtown Cincinnati.
The letter, signed by Messrs. Gandhi Merida, Edward Gonzalez, and Victor Maradiaga, highlights a list of
grievances including wage theft, worker abuse, falsified information, a disregard for safety guidelines, and the
suppression of worker complaints.
These accusations are extreme and threaten the sterling reputation Al. Neyer has earned in its nearly 125 years of
business in Greater Cincinnati. We do not take these claims lightly, and believe the severity of these claims
warrant a strong response.
First and foremost, the entire Al. Neyer organization supports and defends the fair treatment of workers
whether those workers are employed by Al. Neyer, or by any subcontractor selected for any construction project
we oversee. We are currently engaged in or have completed more than 30 successful projects in the city of
Cincinnati; at these job sites and every other project we oversee, we proactively pursue opportunities of inclusion
at every level.
We strive to include minorities as investors, as MBE and WBE subcontractors, and as the employees working the
site each and every day. We are dedicated to the mission of inclusion and ensuring each worker on our job site is
treated fairly and given every resource needed to perform the job function to which they are hired.
Al. Neyer is committed to ensuring all employees including the employees of lower tier subcontractors are fully
compensated for the terms of their employment. Messrs. Merida and Gonzalez presented evidence to argue their
claim of wage theft, and we have acted in good faith since their grievances came to light. Our team has dedicated
countless hours of uncompensated time to gain clarity around this situation. Our team researched piles of
documentation including cancelled checks distributed by subcontractor R & R Steel, signed prevailing wage
documents, certified payroll reports, and other reports of record. We discovered a significant amount of additional
information not disclosed by the workers information that supports the position that these workers have been
amply paid for their employment.
Further, we found no evidence that substantiated the assertion that makeup checks were distributed in an
attempt to suppress these workers, but instead to rectify inadequate bookkeeping on part of the subcontractor.
This additional compensation may have, in fact, surpassed the appropriate amount earned by Messrs. Merida and
Gonzalez. We are committed to paying all of our workers what they are owed, and if our subcontractors or our
own review prove to be incorrect, we will immediately rectify the situation.
With regard to claims workers at the site were not provided federally mandated safety gear, we stand by an OSHA
inspection that supports our perspective that all workers at 8th and Sycamore have been given all required fall
protection equipment. We also refute any claims that workers at the site were not given adequate access to
drinking water. Al Neyer has a strong culture of safety. The work of R & R Steel alone is reviewed at least three
times per week by TWC and Al Neyers independent safety inspectors, in addition to oversight by Al Neyers site
managers.
BRENTWOOD CENTER
9005 OVERLOOK BOULEVARD
BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE 37027
tel 877.271.6400

CORPORATE OFFICE
302 W. 3RD STREET, SUITE 800
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202
tel 513.271.6400 fax 513.271.1350
www.neyer.com

HENRY W. OLIVER BUILDING

535 SMITHFIELD STREET, SUITE 560
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15222
tel 877.271.6400

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At Al. Neyer, we operate with the utmost seriousness when workers at any job site issue accusations about the
standards of their work environment or distribution of wages. This is evidenced by the amount of effort we have
put into this investigation. A finished project can only be regarded as a success thanks to the hard work of every
employee on our job site, and we are committed to practices that treat all of our site workers with fairness and
dignity.
However, we also take seriously any allegations that clearly intend to slander our companys reputation or cast a
shadow on our business practices. We stand by our values of integrity and superior service and will not allow such
derogatory statements to be made about our executives, our operations, or our values without issuing a critical
response.
Al. Neyer is honored to serve as a corporate partner in the city of Cincinnati. With each project, we aspire to build
pride in real estate. That pride transcends a given place or neighborhood; we seek to build pride in every worker
who has touched a project, whether that be an architect who drafts the initial design, or a stonemason who sets in
place the final piece of marble. We hope the claims surrounding 8th and Sycamore are promptly put to rest,
allowing each and every worker on the site to enjoy a sense of pride for the accomplishment of completing this
project and advancing the vitality of Downtown Cincinnati.

Sincerely,

Jerome A. Tepe
EVP, Design-Build
Jtepe@neyer.com
513-368-3874