San Diego

Henry Rock, who was accused in 1984 of violating federal wage guidelines while his company worked on an $18-million federally funded construction project, Monday was placed on five years’ probation and ordered not to bid on federal contracts for three years.

Rock, who heads the Rainbow Construction Co., was also given two years by U.S. District Judge William Enright to settle a pay dispute with PBMC Inc., the prime contractor on the project.

Carpenters who worked on Mariner’s Cove, a 500-unit federally subsidized apartment complex, were guaranteed wages of $20.99 an hour by the U.S. Department of Labor. However, some carpenters were paid anywhere from $5.99 to $15.99 an hour by Rock. Rock was ordered to make $32,000 in restitution to the underpaid workers.

In court, Rock produced a document showing that he had paid the money through PBMC, a Northern California construction company. Attorneys for PBMC disputed the document, and Enright gave Rock and PBMC officials two years to settle the dispute. Enright ruled that, if Rock has made restitution, he will have to pay a $10,000 fine. If PBMC can prove that restitution has not been made, Rock will be forced to pay the $32,000.