Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Las Vegas unions issue ‘Black Book’ of enemies

Labor unions and a religious group launched a week-long series of organizing events today by issuing a "Black Book" of their top enemies in Las Vegas.

The union Black Book is named after the Nevada Gaming Commission's Black Book of criminals and other undesirables barred from casinos.

The Santa Fe Hotel & Casino, Jensen Precast, Precision Concrete and Jetstream Construction are listed in the "Nevada Employer Black Book." Unions say the companies hired anti-union consultants and fired and intimidated workers who chose to unionize their workplaces.

The Black Book includes Santa Fe Chief Executive Paul Lowden and Executive Vice President Sue Lowden; Jensen Precast owner Donald Jensen and general managers Eric and Kirk Jensen; Precision Concrete President Chad Stewart and Jetstream Construction President John Dombrowski.

The companies and individuals weren't available for comment this morning.

"The purpose of the Black Book is to show that good and respectable companies do engage in law breaking as a business strategy, and the punishments aren't sufficient to change their behavior," said Michael Slater, executive director of the Las Vegas Interfaith Council for Worker Justice.

"Just like the gaming industry cannot tolerate cheats, workers in Nevada cannot tolerate companies that cheat them," he said. "Governments shouldn't give contracts to these companies, people shouldn't patronize them, just like the casinos don't allow cheats through their doors."

Slater said union foe Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Venetian hotel-casino, which is being picketed by the Culinary Union, isn't listed in the Black book because there haven't been records of labor law violations at the Venetian.

The Black Book, organized by the AFL-CIO and the Interfaith Council, kicks off "7 Days in June," a week of hearings, marches, rallies and bus tours aimed at bolstering organized labor nationwide.

National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka and the Nevada Carpenters Union will lead a rally on Wednesday supporting the organization of Jensen Precast workers.

Cindy Young, AFL-CIO's Nevada state field director, said Jensen Precast repeatedly failed to bargain with the union for a contract and illegally threatened to close its plant and fire workers.

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