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Absolute Drywall <br />Lakeville, Minnesota <br />Absolute Drywall is a drywall construction <br />company based in Lakeville, Minnesota. <br />Government investigations have found that <br />Absolute Drywall deprived workers of more <br />than $126,000 in wages, violated child labor <br />laws, misclassified workers, and submitted <br />false and misleading information during the <br />course of an investigation.43 <br />In 2022, Norma, a former Absolute Drywall <br />worker, told investigators that she had been <br />sexually assaulted on multiple occasions by <br />her co-worker, Juan Diego Medina Cisnerso, <br />on the job at construction sites where <br />Absolute Drywall had been hired to install <br />drywall. Norma reported that, on May 20, <br />2021, she was sexually assaulted while working <br />for Absolute Drywall on a construction <br />project in Eagan, Minnesota. Norma reported <br />that she was again assaulted on another <br />construction project in Roseville, Minnesota. <br />Norma shared her story of abuse with her <br />supervisor, Absolute Drywall's owner, Daniel <br />Ortega, according to an original report <br />published in the Minnesota Reformer <br />article.44 Ortega claimed that the relationship <br />was consensual. Norma "told police Ortega <br />threatened to fire her if she continued <br />complaining."45 Shortly after reporting the <br />incident, Ortega laid Norma off, informing her <br />there was no more work available. <br />43 All relevant documentation: i.Minnesota Department of <br />Labor and Industry Licensingg Order issued to Absolute <br />Drywall. Reg15o5-000zi/MC;. August 18, 2016. 2. Case ID <br />1794218. 3. Child Labor, Wage and Hour Division Overview. <br />U.S Department of Labor. Case ID 1800777. Investigative pe- <br />riod between August zo, zo14 to July 19, zo16. 4. Minnesota <br />Department of Labor and Industry Licensing Order issued to <br />Absolute Drywall. REG17oz-oo83/MG. May 21, zo18. <br />44 Max Nesterak, "She reported sexual abuse on the job. The <br />boss told her it was consensual," Minnesota Reformer, October <br />4, 2022, https://minnesotareformer.com/z0zz/io/o4/she-re- <br />p orted-sexual-abu se -on -the -job -the -boss -told -her -it -was -con- <br />sensual/. <br />45 Ibid <br />We have documented Absolute Drywall <br />on the following public projects: <br />♦ Birdtown Flats - The Beard Group <br />(Robbinsdale) <br />♦ Oaks Landing - Dominium (New Brighton) <br />♦ Legends of Apple Valley - Dominium <br />(Apple Valley) <br />♦ Legends of Cottage Grove - Dominium <br />(Cottage Grove) <br />♦ Twin Lakes Family Apartments - Dominium <br />(Roseville) <br />Environmental StoneWorks (ESW) <br />North Branch, Minnesota <br />Environmental StoneWorks is a national stone <br />manufacturer and installer. Environmental <br />StoneWorks is owned by CornerStone <br />Building Brands, one of the largest <br />manufacturers of exterior building products <br />in North America. CornerStone was acquired <br />by private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice <br />in 2022. <br />In September 2021, a worker named Marco fell <br />off a six-foot stepladder while installing stone <br />veneer on an Environmental StoneWorks <br />project and broke his ankle. Marco's boss <br />reportedly told him to go to the hospital and <br />present himself as the boss in order to receive <br />treatment. <br />Marco explained that, after he refused to <br />participate in the scheme, his boss was <br />outraged and threatened to call immigration <br />enforcement and police if Marco or his <br />coworker Mario ever showed up on one of <br />his projects. The boss later told Mario that <br />he could charge them $10,000 for alleged <br />defects in past stone installation work. <br />12 North Star Policy Action <br />