Charge filed against Spaghetti Bowl contractor

Friday, April 9, 1999 | 11:39 a.m.

The National Labor Relations Board issued an unfair labor practices complaint against Meadow Valley Contractors Inc., which is rebuilding the Las Vegas Spaghetti Bowl highway interchange.

The complaint alleges Meadow Valley assigned lower paying work to union supporters, interrogated employees about union activities and threatened that union members would not be hired.

Ken Nelson, vice president of administration for Meadow Valley Contractors parent Meadow Valley Corp., of Phoenix, denied the charges.

"We don't do what they said we do," said Nelson. "We don't discriminate against employees for union activities. ... It's just a harassment tactic they use."

The "they" Nelson refers to is the Building Trades Organizing Project, a group of unions trying to organize Meadow Valley. The NLRB complaint was based on allegations filed by Local 12 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The alleged activities occurred in Las Vegas, said Stephen Wamser, Las Vegas resident officer for the NLRB.

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