San Jose

Worker Dies at ‘Silvery Towers' Luxury Condo Construction Site in San Jose

A worker has died at a luxury condominium construction site in San Jose that had been accused by the Department of Labor of forcing immigrants to work for free.

Details of the worker's death at the Silvery Towers condo has not been released but the employer, Swinerton Builders, notified California Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the fatality Thursday morning, Cal/OSHA told NBC Bay Area.

Officials were on site Thursday to conduct an investigation, which typically takes between three to six months, according to a spokesperson for California Department of Industrial Relations.

Swinerton Buildings is based in San Francisco but the company has several locations throughout the state of California. It has worked on big projects like One Steuart Lane on San Francisco waterfront, and even a parking plaza at San Diego International Airport, according to the company's website.

The Department of Labor said the workers at the Silvery Towers were held against their will and forced to work for nothing. 

Critics and unions called the development the "Slavery Towers." The developer, Full Power Properties, shut down the project in response.

Click here for NBC Bay Area's previous coverage on the Silvery Towers.

Contact Us